IZZAQ Faris Ramlan warrants a spot in the national senior team's starting line-up after returning from injury with two terrific goals on his Super League debut with Young Tigers A on Tuesday.

Izzaq is determined to start in the team's first international friendly of the year against Hong Kong on Wednesday at Shah Alam Stadium.

The Kemaman-born striker feels it is time for him to take his career up one more notch as he does not want to be a regular bench-warmer in the senior team. He made his senior debut in the AFF Suzuki Cup last December.

The 20-year-old made an impressive return for Tigers A on his return from a hamstring injury, coming on as a substitute to score a brace in his team's 3-1 victory over Pahang.

"I think it is time for me to fight for my place in the senior team's starting line-up as I cannot go on warming the bench. I injured my hamstring in a friendly with the Thailand Olympic side last month but I'm fine now," said Izzaq yesterday.

"The brace I scored in the Super League has given me confidence. We defeated a senior side and that means a lot to all of us.

"My target is to score in every Super League match I feature in as I know it will help me get into the starting line-up of the national team."

Izzaq is among the 22 players called up by Rajagobal for the first phase of centralised training which started on Wednesday.

The lanky striker, who also featured in the Guangzhou Asian Games, has been a regular with the national Under-23 and Under-21 sides over the past year.

He is expected to be named for the Olympic Qualifiers (Under-22) where the team play Pakistan in the first round, and the Indonesia Sea Games (Under-23).

However, Izzaq also wants to fight for spot in the national senior team, who are preparing for the World Cup Qualifiers which start in the second half of the year.

"I was delighted when I was a part of the team who won the Suzuki Cup. I made two appearances as a sub but did not make an impact. I hope my fortunes will change this year," he added.

But it will not be easy for Izzaq as he will be competing with established strikers, Safee Sali and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha for a spot in senior team's starting line-up.

AZLAN Iskandar swept into the Bluenose Classic semi-finals in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Friday after overcoming a determined opponent in the quarter-finals.

The second-seeded Azlan dropped the third game before subduing Nicolas Mueller of Switzerland 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9 in 49 minutes to keep alive his bid for his first title of 2011.

Despite the close margin of the first two games, Azlan maintained control and led throughout as Mueller could not find a way past the World No 13.

However, the unseeded Swiss player snatched the third game by retrieving everything Azlan threw at him but there was to be no comeback as the Malaysian returned to dominate the fourth game and was quickly up 9-3 and 10-4.

But Mueller very nearly caught up by saving five match balls only to fall short at the crucial moment.

"It was a fair match with a wrong ending," said Mueller. "I got a second and third wind but it was not quite enough for the fourth."

In the first round, Azlan was paired with national No 3 Nafiizwan Adnan, who made his way into the main draw through the qualifiers, and his experience told in an 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 victory.

Azlan goes on to meet qualifier Gilly Lane in the semi-finals after the American stunned Egyptian Mohamed Abbas, once ranked in the world's top-15, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4.

The exit of top seed Laurens Jan Anjema has also cleared the way for Azlan to the title after the Dutchman's 11-7, 11-7, 14-12 defeat to Julian Illingworth of the United States.

In the other quarter-final, Egypt's Hisham Ashour advanced by beating Miguel Angel Rodriguez of Colombia 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7. -- DEVINDER SINGH