BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Spanish striker Rufino Segovia further cemented his reputation as one of the best strikers currently plying his trade in Malaysian football, when he almost single-handedly helped Selangor thump state rivals PKNS FC 4-0 in their first leg semi-final FA Cup match.
In the match that was held at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on Saturday, the 33-year old produced a stunning performance to help the Red Giants gain a massive advantage ahead of the second leg. He recorded a hat-trick, scored in the 39th, 41st and 56th minutes, forced an own goal by Azmizi Azmi in the 64th minute, and still missed two open chances.
Selangor vs PKNS match highlights
But in the post-match press conference, the former Atletico Madrid remarked that this was not his best performance for the Red Giants despite the hat-trick, when asked by Goal.
"No. There have been matches when I did not score or scored only one goal, but I played very well. Tonight I had three or four chances, and put away three.
"I've played better before, but I didn't get a hat-trick," he said.
And when the Spaniard was asked about his hunger for the trophy, he replied that he wants to lift the cup in order to repay the club, who have shown faith in him.
"Before I came to Malaysia, many clubs declined to sign me because they felt that I'm too old.
"But Selangor gave me a chance, paid me, helped my family, they provided everything I need. Selangor is my home and we can win the cup. I want to win it with this team," answered Rufino.
The second leg match will be played at the Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday, June 30, but before that the Red Giants have to take on Pahang, whom they may face in the cup final, in their round 16 league clash on Tuesday in Kuantan.
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