SEPANG: Ahmad Muhaimin Razak, a.k.a. "Minbappe", bounced back from his Asian eSports Games (AEG) disappointment earlier this month to claim the FIFAe World Cup title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.
Muhaimin, nicknamed after French football star Kylian Mbappe, fell short at the AEG eFootball mobile final in Bangkok on Dec 1, losing 3-2 to Thailand's Nattawat "TXRO" Namburee. However, just eight days later, he departed for Riyadh with renewed determination.
"I was driven to make the country proud by winning the World Cup," said the 19-year-old upon arriving at KLIA here today.
"I wanted to right the wrongs from the AEG final and worked tirelessly to claim the title for Malaysia. Winning this World Cup is special because it's the highest honour you can achieve for your country."
In the World Cup final, Muhaimin dominated Morocco's Anass "AN10_Tienes" Moussa with a 5-0 (3-0, 2-0) aggregate score in the best-of-three series.
It was Malaysia's third world title in eSports this year
Muhaimin's path to the title was marked by an undefeated run.
He recorded five wins and two draws in the group stage before overcoming Japan and India in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
Now back home, Muhaimin plans to focus on his studies.
"I'm still eager to win more titles in the future, but for now, my priority is finishing my studies," said the Form Six student.
Riyadh has proven to be a successful venue for Malaysian eSports.
In July, Selangor Red Giants clinched the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Mid Season Cup.
In November, Malaysia lifted their second world title of the year by winning the MLBB crown at the World eSports Championships.
Black Shrew Esports were the first Malaysian team to win a world title at the Honour of Kings World Championship in Jakarta in October.