KUALA LUMPUR — National footballer Paulo Josue, nearing the twilight of his career, has set his sights on winning this year’s AFF Cup before hanging up his boots.
The 35-year-old attacking midfielder from Kuala Lumpur City FC told Scoop that he is working hard to catch the eye of national head coach Pau Marti Vicente as he chases this ultimate goal.
Born in Canela, Brazil, Josue has played in the Malaysia Super League for the past seven years. He obtained Malaysian citizenship last year, making him eligible to be registered as a local player and called up for Harimau Malaya.
Josue debuted for Malaysia in a match against Turkmenistan in March last year and has since made 16 appearances, scoring five goals.
He also featured in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, where he assisted Romel Morales’ dramatic 90+15-minute stoppage-time equaliser in a 3-3 draw against South Korea, earning Malaysia its first point in the tournament.
Most recently, Josue was part of the squad that lifted the Merdeka Cup under Vicente this month.
“Honestly, I’m getting older, and I understand that my time with the national team is limited. But I’ve always worked hard to be part of the team, and if they want me there, I’ll always be ready.
“Whether it’s for five minutes, on the bench, or a full 90-minute match, I’ll be there for the team. I don’t get upset if I’m not selected, and I have a lot of great memories with Harimau Malaya.
“I’m very thankful to Malaysia for giving me this opportunity. I always dreamed of playing for Brazil, but I was never close, and Malaysia made my national team dream come true.
“I don’t know how much longer my international career will last, but for now, I want to keep going. I would love to win the AFF Cup and sign off.
“I’m working hard to be part of the national team, and I know it has been a while since we last won the AFF tournament. I would love to win it for the fans,” said Josue when contacted.
Josue, who joined KL City in 2017, has made 137 appearances and scored 53 goals for the club.
Malaysia is grouped with defending champions Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam/Timor Leste in Group A for the 15th edition of the AFF tournament, scheduled for November 23 to December 21 across various host nations.
Group B features Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.
For the record, the last time Malaysia won the AFF tournament was back in 2010 under former head coach Datuk K. Rajagopal. — September 29, 2024
