Nooa Laine, the Red Giants midfielder, spoke about the moment he was handed the captaincy after team captain Safuwan Baharudin was substituted following an unintentional red card in the 10th minute of the Final 1 MFL Challenge Cup 2024/25.

“Honestly, I didn't think too much about the captaincy that time,”

“Because we went down to 10 men, I was more focused on the fact that it was going to be a difficult match.”

“Knowing that every minute would feel like an uphill battle,”

“The plan will be we have to stay more compact and disciplined with everything we have, to get a good result,”

Asking Nooa what makes the team fight hard until the end despite playing with 10 men.

“The three goals completely turned the situation around for us.”

“With the odds against us, Fortes’ two clinical goals and Ali’s decisive goal shifted the momentum in our favour and felt like a sudden surge of hope.”

“The pressure we were under didn’t disappear, but those goals gave us the confidence to push forward,”

“In the end, the result shows that we worked hard as a team to put ourselves in the lead for the Final first leg.” 

As this isn't the first time Nooa Laine has worn the captain's armband, we asked for his thoughts on leading Selangor FC as captain.

“Whenever I wear the armband, I make it a point to stay true to the player I’ve always been, regardless of the responsibility it carries,” 

“It doesn’t really change my approach to the game.”

“Sure, some might expect me to act differently or step up in a way that’s more noticeable,” 

“but I focus on playing as Nooa, whether I have the captain’s armband or not.”

“For me, the most important thing is being consistent and doing my part for the team.”

“If the coach decides to give the armband to someone else, that’s perfectly fine with me.”

“I’m always ready to support the team, no matter what role I’m given.”

“And if I’m entrusted with it, I’ll wear it with pride and do my best, working together with the rest of the squad to achieve our goals.”

Nooa, born in 2002, is one of the youngest players in the squad, yet he has developed a great bond with the senior players especially the foreign players. This raises the question: what’s it like for him to captain both the experienced seniors and his other teammates?

“If I can offer any advice, motivation, or help, I’ll somehow do so, even without the armband.”

“Well, of course, they sometimes tease me about being one of the captains,”

“but it’s all good and fun banter between us.”

The conversation ends.

Tomorrow will be the day when the winner of the MFL Challenge Cup 2024/25 is decided at MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya, with kickoff set for 9pm. 

See you there!

Demi Kebanggaan.