Faiz Subri's free kick goal last night which became an overnight world sensation was not a fluke.
The 29-year-old Penang footballer said as a striker, he trained hard to perfect free kicks, including the "knuckleball" technique currently being discussed worldwide.
"I always train in free kicks as a striker. Sometimes the shots are good and sometimes they are not.
"When I had the ball last night, my every intention was to make the shot and score," he told a press conference called by the Football Association of Penang (FAP) this evening.
The "knuckleball" technique in football refers to a ball kicked at a very low spin. Along its straight path, the ball deviates laterally and appears to be unpredictable, which is frustrating for goalkeepers attempting to block it.
Faiz's "knuckleball" free kick has made international headlines, highlighted by British dailies like The Independent and Daily Mirror, and Australia's Sydney Morning Herald.
The goal was said to have defied physics, amid talk that it deserved the FIFA Puskas award, which was named after 1950s Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas and established in 2009 by FIFA to recognise players who scored the most beautiful goals of the year.
The shot was also compared to the "banana free kick" made by Brazilian football superstar Roberto Carlos when Brazil met France in the 1997 Tournoi de France.
Faiz's name has been trending on social media platform Twitter. A video clip of his goal is also on YouTube.
Taken aback by his overnight fame, Faiz said he had never expected to be such a sensation, although he admitted that it was his best goal ever.
He said many people, including his teammates and friends, were excited over the shot in last night's game against Pahang in the Malaysian Super League, which Penang won 4-1.
"I really did not expect much to happen. 'Saya ingat tiada apa. (I thought it was nothing).
"But it was all over the Internet when I woke up this morning," he said.
Faiz said he felt honoured and humbled that his performance on the field last night had become such a huge deal.
"How can I compete with someone like Roberto Carlos? The man is a legend.
"The Puskas Award? Alhamdulillah (thank God), if I can really get it," said the footballer, who still appeared to be in disbelief.
Before playing for Penang, Faiz played professionally for Perlis, T-Team, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Faiz, whose ambition had been to play football professionally since he was a primary school boy in Kedah, said he also felt honoured that FAP wanted to auction off the jersey, shorts, socks and boots he had worn in the match last night.
FAP treasurer Datuk M. Murly said the whole set would be put up for an online auction on the association's website.
The auction will start next week and continue for at least two weeks or more if there is encouraging response.
"The reserve price is RM100,000 for the whole set. Each item is signed by Faiz.
"We want to do this to gauge how much support FAP can get for Penang football. The sport here has not been getting much support from the private sector," he said.
Murly also touched on comments posted online about Faiz's free kick, which many said was due to luck.
"If you watch the video of the shot repeatedly, you will see that there is precision in the manner he took the shot," he said.
Head coach Jackson F. Tiago said Faiz was good in free kicks while FAP vice-president Datuk Gary Nair said Faiz was a capable and talented player.
He said it was one of the best goals he had had a chance to witness, and that knowing Faiz, the shot was no fluke.
"Knowing him and what he is capable of doing, it is no fluke shot. Last year he had scored some beautiful goals for Penang but this one beats the odds.
"He is a cheeky guy. If he is let loose to do what he likes or try, I think he can do wonders."
FAP president Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff said the association was very proud of Faiz, whose goal also caught the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Najib had commented on the beauty of the shot while in the US.
"It is a global phenomenon in the football world," he said, adding that the entire Penang team had performed well last night.
He said Penang football's reputation has been on the rise over the last two years and the association would continue to motivate the players to do their best on the field.
"The team will continue to get incentives for playing well. This is a reward for all of us." – February 17, 2016.
