Despite the long absence, it was a strong showing from the Team Falcons’ Mid Laner.
It was a strong day one of MSC 2026 for Team Falcons and Mid Laner Salic “Hadji” Imam, reminding everyone that the Falcons are truly back. Their convincing 2-0 sweep against Guangzhou Gaming showed why the Philippines is considered the best MLBB region in the world.
For Hadji, he was just simply happy to be playing on the international stage again. “I’m happy because I’m finally back at an international tournament,” said Hadji to The GAME.
His last international outing was back in 2023 at the M4 World Championship with Blacklist International. That one had a particularly sour ending as that was when he got 4-0’d by ECHO in the grand finals. Since then, Hadji has narrowly missed his chance at an international tournament multiple times. It was a rather unlucky streak for him, one that he finally broke with Team Falcons.
“I really missed this feeling so I’m just really happy.”
Now that he’s in MSC 2026, Hadji is looking forward to testing his mettle against the best MLBB teams around the world. And he’s already set his sights on a strong target.
“For me, it’s Team Vitality,” said Hadji when asked who he hopes to fight this tournament. “Because we’re in the same bracket and we get a chance to face the champions of Indonesia.”
Well, it looks like he’s already getting his wish as Team Falcons will have to face Team Vitality to move on to the playoffs. It’s going to be an exciting match up, especially since both teams have shown some interesting hero picks. When asked if they’ve got even more surprise picks up their sleeve, Hadji gave a coy smile.
“Tingnan lang natin sa mga next matches namin. Meron pa kaming mailalabas na ibang hero.”
Images from Mobile Legends Esports on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salic “Hadji” Imam is the Mid Laner for Team Falcons in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB). He previously competed for Blacklist International at the 2023 M4 World Championship. He’s a key player in the Philippines’ dominant MLBB competitive landscape.
Hadji competed with Blacklist International at M4 2023 but reached the grand finals, where they lost 0-4 to ECHO. Since then, he narrowly missed multiple international tournament opportunities before joining Team Falcons for MSC 2026.
Team Falcons had a strong Day One debut, sweeping Guangzhou Gaming 2-0. This victory demonstrated the team’s competitive strength and validated the Philippines as the best MLBB region in the world at the tournament.
Team Falcons will face Team Vitality, the champions of Indonesia, in their next match to advance to the playoffs. This matchup was Hadji’s stated goal when asked which team he most wanted to test himself against.
The GAME Philippines covers Philippine sports culture, athlete profiles, and lifestyle content. While primarily sports-focused, The GAME also covers esports as part of Filipino competitive gaming and digital sports culture.
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