Malaysia national team star surpasses Man City player, ranks among world’s best dribblers causing a sensation

Malaysia national team standout, Arif Aiman Hanapi, continues to draw international football attention in the latest Sofascore statistics.

According to the newest update on Sofascore’s social media platforms, the 23-year-old has completed 224 successful dribbles in 35 domestic league matches, making him the fourth highest player worldwide in successful dribbles. Remarkably, Arif Aiman has outperformed Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku, who recorded 212 successful dribbles but needed 52 matches, 17 more than Arif Aiman.

Arif Aiman’s skillful dribbling ability is highly praised, especially his bursts of speed and breakthroughs along the right wing, frequently causing chaos in opposing defenses. However, Arif Aiman currently faces a long-term absence from the field. He is expected to be sidelined for about three months due to a hamstring injury and has undergone surgery under the supervision of top sports doctor Lempainen Lasse.

In the ranking compiled by Sofascore, the top spot belongs to Barcelona’s young talent, Lamine Yamal, with 307 successful dribbles in 61 matches. Second place goes to Union Saint-Gilloise’s Guilherme Smith, who achieved 251 dribbles in just 25 games. Third is Jose Mario Pinto of CD Olimpia with 238 dribbles in 53 matches. Following them, Nicolas Vallejo ranks sixth with 200 dribbles in 36 matches, followed by Olawale Tanimowo (JK Tammeka) with 199 dribbles in 34 games.

The top 10 list also includes Ljupche Doriev (Sogdiana) with 193 dribbles in 30 matches, Mariano Peralte Bauer (Borneo Samarinda) with 192 dribbles in 32 games, and Caio Vidal (Ludogorets Razgrad), who rounds out the top 10 with 185 successful dribbles in 39 matches.

Although currently sidelined, Arif Aiman’s inclusion among the world’s best dribblers clearly demonstrates this player’s talent and remarkable progress. Upon his return from injury, Arif Aiman is expected to maintain his strong form and play a crucial role in Johor Darul Ta'zim’s (JDT) ambitions as well as Malaysian football’s success regionally and internationally.