Lim You's lethal left foot honed by father since childhood

 

The sharpness of her left foot, honed by her father since childhood, proved to be a potent weapon for young player Lim You as she scored seven goals to help the Malayan Tigress Under-17 squad thrash Saudi Arabia 9-0 in their Group A match of the 2026 Srikandi Merdeka Cup in Kudus, Indonesia, on Tuesday.

Lim said her father had trained her left foot extensively since she was young because there were not many left-footed players, regarding the advantage as a speciality that should be utilised through football.

In Tuesday's match, the 14-year-old scored all seven goals with her left foot, proving that the special touch nurtured by her father from a young age could be one of the most valuable assets in her debut with the national squad.

"Since I was little, my dad has been training my left foot a lot because not a lot of people are left-footed and it's just like a speciality kind of thing. I'm lucky to be left-footed.

"The seven goals, it's not all credit to me because my teammates got me the ball and I just helped finish the play," she told reporters during a virtual press conference organised by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) yesterday.

Lim said her debut with the national squad also came with some challenges - language barrier being one - because she was not very fluent in Malay.

Lim You in action against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

However, the young player said she was grateful to have adapted well with her teammates and enjoyed her first experience with the national squad.

Lim also admitted feeling a little pressure after attracting attention following her seven-goal feat, but her deep passion for football made her excited to continue playing regardless of the opponent.

"Honestly, a bit, but football is like a game I really enjoy, and I'm excited every single time I step onto the pitch no matter the opponent," she said.

Staying grounded

Lim was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States, while her parents were born and raised in Johor, giving the player, who now lives in Washington, close ties to Malaysia.

Lim said her family still has relatives in Johor and Kuala Lumpur whom she frequently visits whenever she returns to Malaysia every two to four years.

The 165cm Lim scored in the eighth, 22nd, 27th, 57th, 75th, 83rd and 85th minutes - one of the goals being a penalty.

Putri Mia Alysa Ahmad Zakiyamani and Ku Nur Qaleysha Qaisara Ku Zainon scored the other two goals in the injury time of either half to complete the national squad's 9-0 rout.

The win saw Malaysia finish as runners-up in Group A with four points, level with Hong Kong but advancing to the semi-finals on goal difference.

Malaysia had earlier opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Hong Kong before losing 0-3 to hosts Garuda Pertiwi.

Awaiting Malaysia in the semi-finals tomorrow are the Group B winners, with Thailand, Jordan and Singapore still in contention for the position ahead of the group's final matches yesterday.

- Bernama