Zuzul’s ready to strike again

Croatian hotshot Sime Zuzul hopes to continue his scoring form for Geylang International but insists that what matters more for him is to help the club return to winning ways as soon as possible, starting with tomorrow’s night home match with Balestier Khalsa at Our Tampines Hub (OTH).

Zuzul’s purple patch in front of goal has seen him score three goals in his first five starts of the season, tying for fifth in the top scorer standings, but those contributions could only yield just one point for the Eagles in the process.

On all the three occasions where Zuzul netted the opening strikes, Geylang International were beaten 3-2 by Hougang United and Tampines Rovers and were held to a 2-2 draw by Albirex Niigata on Tuesday.

“It certainly feels great to have settled well with Geylang and play my part to bring in the goals for the team. I look forward to keeping this up,” said Zuzul, who will be facing his former club for the first time this season.

“However, it’s not the individual glory I’m pursuing here. My goals would only mean so much more if they can help the club secure all three points.

“There are a lot of games left to be played, so I hope all of us in the team keep persevering and continue to push for a win.

“We have been knocking on the door. In fact, the team has been performing well and was ahead on a couple of occasions. Perhaps, we just need a little bit of element of luck,” added Zuzul.

Meanwhile, head coach Noor Ali is asking his charges to keep a level head as they take on the Tigers.

“It’s important for the team to have all 11 guys stay on the pitch for the entire match,” said Noor Ali.

“We held on brilliantly with 10 men in our last two matches, so can you imagine what this team are capable of had we not had anyone sent off?

“Also, any player suspension could be detrimental to the team for the next match. We as many in the squad to be available and fit as much as possible.”

Geylang International will be looking to make it three wins in a row against Balestier, having beaten them 3-0 and 3-1 in the recent two meetings.

But Noor Ali’s men will have to take note of their Balestier recent form that saw them win two of their last three matches, including a 2-1 win over Hougang United on Tuesday.