Birthday boy Hariss Harun shelves retirement plans, looks forward to Asian Cup
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Lions captain Hariss Harun greeting fans at Changi Airport on his return from Hong Kong on Nov 19 after their historic Asian Cup qualification campaign.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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SINGAPORE – As he walked out in to the Changi Airport Terminal 2 arrival hall on Nov 19, Lions skipper Hariss Harun made a beeline for his son and daughter before he was serenaded with a birthday song by around 300 fans who were there to welcome the team back from Hong Kong.
He was wearing a big grin as he celebrated his 35th birthday as well as his 146th appearance – which tied him with Daniel Bennett as the most-capped Singapore footballer.
But it could have easily been a dismal occasion had the Lions not come from behind to beat the hosts 2-1
Hariss admitted: “I was thinking a lot, and this kind of game really plays with your mind. We went to Hong Kong three days before the game, and it felt like three months, and I just couldn’t wait to play the game.
“I was thinking what if we didn’t get through, and then the next day is the birthday. But all this is behind me now, and I’m just so happy. This is the best birthday present.”
While he was partly culpable for Hong Kong’s 15th-minute lead as Matt Orr was allowed to run in between him and Ryhan Stewart to head home unmarked, Hariss recovered to put on a terrific display in the heart of defence alongside Safuwan Baharudin, with goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud faultless behind them.
He said: “I told the boys when we were 1-0 down at half-time, because of how the last few games went, and we managed to score after conceding first, I never had a doubt in my heart or my head that we will stay in the game and come back. And true enough, we did that, even in front of a sell-out crowd, against the odds, I think it’s huge. I hope this is something the boys can take away, see that they have this level in them, and push forward.”
One of Singapore’s most well-regarded and most successful footballers, Hariss was thankful to be able to banish the ghosts of failed qualifying campaigns in the past, most notably for the 2011 Asian Cup when they lost 2-1 in Jordan, when a draw would have sent them through.
On what has changed, he said: “Over the years, the players have accumulated the experience. Even in failure, there are always valuable lessons you can take away.
“You can see players like Glenn Kweh and Ilhan Fandi coming into their own as they play in better competitions and better teams at better levels, and this helps the national team when everybody does their part.”
He added: “I hope this can now be an inspiration for future generations as well. I hope the boys can see that if they work hard and never give up, like how the team did in the last few months, then they too can achieve results in whichever competitions that they play in. Hopefully, one day, they can play for the national team and achieve even better results.”
As he put the past to bed, he was also able to see a clearer future.
Admitting that he had considered international retirement had the Lions failed to qualify for the Asian Cup, he said: “I hope to (continue leading the Lions at the Asian Cup). It is something to look forward to now.
“I told the players as well, we are happy today, but now we need to look forward, we need to maintain the standards, keep going, get better because it’s still a long way to the Asian Cup. We need to be ready.”
For younger players such as forward Ilhan, there is no doubt that their Captain Marvel is still the man to lead them on the pitch.
The 23-year-old, who rooms with Hariss’ on international duty, shared that he has become a better player, thanks to the senior man’s “nagging” to track back and defend.
Ilhan, who created Shawal Anuar’s equaliser and scored the winner against Hong Kong, said: “His performances in all the Asian Cup qualifiers speak for themselves.
“Age is just a number. If he keeps putting up performances like that, I think he can continue for maybe another three or four years.
“He is a top professional who takes care of his body and knows what to do, and it’s a privilege to be playing with him and to have him as my mentor, my roommate and my best friend.”
