PETALING JAYA: National striker Mohd Safee Sali refuted claims by critics that he had made a mistake by joining Pelita Jaya FC, a bottom of the table club, in the Indonesian Super League (ISL).
Mohd Safee said he accepted the one-year contract to play in the ISL which starts on March 7, for his personal advancement and for the benefit of the Football Association of Selangor (FAS).
"In this case, I had to think positively because the proposal by FAS was good for me and the association," he told Bernama here Tuesday.
He added that he would not regret his decision to join the club or ISL because something good might come of it.
"I believe I can learn something new from playing in Indonesia and I hope the experience gained can be used for the good of Malaysian football later," he said.
Mohd Safee said he would feature as the main striker for Pelita Jaya and would leave to Jakarta on Feb 14.
The striker, touted to be in the same mould as legendary striker Mokhtar Dahari, had initially received three offers from Indonesian clubs, namely Persib Bandung, Persib Balik Papan and Pelita Jaya.
The Selangor striker was the talk of the town after his splendid performance had helped Malaysia win the AFF Suzuki Cup while his three goals in the two-leg final also earned his the golden boot for the tournament.
On Monday, FAS deputy president Datuk Mokhtar Ahmad had announced that Mohd Safee would join Pelita Jaya and that the FAS had given its blessing.
His decision however, drew flak from critics who were puzzled as to why he had chosen a club that finished at the bottom of the ISL as compared with Selangor who won the Super League title.
Beside Safee other foreign players in the club are defender Yuichi Shiba (Japan), midfielder Tomoyuki Sakai (Japan), midfielder Walter Bruzuela (Argentina) and striker Juan Ramirez from Paraguay including head coach Jaya Misha Radovic.
Safee will be wearing the number 10 jersey and will partner Paraguay Juan Ramirez upfront to push the club further up of ISL when the second round started next week.
