Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kathmandu: The chance to consolidate his position as the top scorer in the tournament's history is a very distant second behind helping Palestine achieve glory at the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup says star striker Fahed Attal.
Attal had an unforgettable debut in the AFC Challenge Cup when he scored six goals as Palestine put Guam to the sword in their opening match of the 2006 tournament before going on to add further goals against Cambodia and Myanmar.
The 27-year-old was unable to add to his tally as Palestine failed to qualify for the last AFC Challenge Cup but his goal 65 minutes into Palestine's 2-0 win over hosts Nepal took his individual tournament scoring record to nine goals one more than DPR Korea's Pak Song-chol, setting up an intriguing sub-plot to Friday's final-four showdown between West Asia's first-ever semi-finalists and the defending champions.
But for Attal, such a head-to-head between two players is one for the fans or media as he gives his full attention to the Palestine cause.
"I was top scorer in Bangladesh and while it is always good to be top scorer in a tournament it is not as important as the results of the team, Attal told www.the-afc.com.
"For me it is very important to be part of the national team of Palestine but I am just part of a group of players that have helped us get to the semi-finals of this tournament and now I want to help the team become champions.
"We know that the North Koreans are very strong side with a lot of quality and experience and we respect them. But our aim is to become champions and to achieve this we must play like champions which we will do on Friday."