Zulhilmi Zainal

Nazirul thanks travelling 'Ekor' for more than just their support

The away Malaysia fans had troubles entering the My Dinh National Stadium on Saturday, until a group of them formed a human barricade.

BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter

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Malaysia defender Nazirul Naim is grateful for the support shown by the Malaysia fans throughout their recent 2018 AFF Championship campaign.

The Malayan Tigers fans, who have been dubbed the 'ekor' (followers, literally tails) of their team, might have taken slightly longer to warm up to this edition of the tournament, with their first home match, a 3-1 win over Laos on November 12, only attended by 12,127 fans, but their interest picked up in the latter stages of the tournament.

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Their last three home matches were played in front of sold-out crowds at the 87,411-capacity Bukit Jalil National Stadium, while their away semi-final and final ties saw Malaysia fans providing ample support for the eventual runners-up.

And the Perak man is fully aware of the sacrifices made by their supporters in order to follow their beloved team.

"I am very grateful towards the supporters who sacrificed a lot to follow us, they gave up their time and money to cheer us on throughout this tournament.

"They have my gratitude," remarked the 25-year old left back.

The defender is also grateful for the fans' intervention in one incident, just before their second leg final match against Vietnam in Hanoi last Saturday.

The away fans were having difficulties entering the crowded My Dinh National Stadium compound for the match, including the wives, children and family members of several of the players.

According to reports, the supporter group Ultras Malaya formed a human barricade to protect the female and young fans, which included the wives and children of Nazirul and another defender Shahrul Saad, and to allow them to enter safely.