PETALING JAYA – Sensational national winger Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi has the potential of playing in Middle East football leagues in the years to come.

In the personal opinion of former national striker Safee Sali, the young Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) footballer would do better playing in the Middle East first before heading to Europe, where football was more competitive and challenging.

“Arif Aiman could maybe explore his potential in an Arab country or the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is still young, so there’s much that can be improved and he has a long journey ahead of him,” he said when met at the 59th Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) congress here today.

Safee also said that the 21-year-old should remain with JDT and hone his skills before really making a move abroad.

“Let him have his time with JDT, if he goes abroad at 21 or 22, his performance might not improve, so let him explore first as some players peak too early and then fade away,” he said.

Arif Aiman has recently captured the attention of local football fans after his hattrick helped JDT bury Selangor FC 4-0 in the FA Cup semifinals last Monday, and has scored 14 goals overall this season, five in the Super League, four in the FA Cup and five with the national squad.

The Selangor hattrick was his second in six days, he slotted in four goals while on international duty against Papua New Guinea in Terengganu, a match that Malaysia won 10-0.

Arif Aiman’s star is definitely on the rise, and many coaches and managers currently view the Most Valuable Player of 2021 and 2022 as being capable of becoming one of the best footballers in Asia. – Bernama