KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 -- The decision to allow the national football squad hold centralised training under quarantine is the best platform to mould compatibility among the players for the remaining three second round matches of the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asia Cup qualifiers in March.
In saying this, chief coach, Tan Cheng Hoe also thanked Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican for the green light to allow Harimau Malaya continue their training sessions despite the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
He said he would discuss with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on a detailed preparation for the squad to continue centralised training camp and comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP).
‘’Allowing the centralised training camp under quarantine will give us the opportunity to prepare the team well for the actions in March,’’ said Cheng Hoe, 52, in his latest posting on FAM Facebook today.
The view was echoed by national midfielder Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak who said the happy news would boost the spirit of his teammates to continue the excellent momentum into the qualifying rounds this time.
The 33-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim defender said the centralised training camp was very important for the players to mould compatibility as some countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and United Arab Emirates (UAE) had started theirs.
Harimau Malaya are scheduled to continue their Group G second round actions of the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asia Cup qualifiers by meeting UAE away on March 25 and hosting Vietnam on March 30.
Malaysia would complete their preliminary round actions against Thailand on June 15 in Bangkok.
Yesterday, Reezal Merican confirmed that the ministry, National Sports Council (MSN) and FAM had agreed to allow the national squad hold centralised training camp at MSN in Bukit Jalil under quarantine.
The move would see the national squad undergoing its first team training in over a year after the players last gathered in November 2019.
The national squad is now on the best platform to qualify for the final round of the 2023 Asian Cup when it is second in Group G of the the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asia Cup qualifiers by collecting nine points in five matches.
-- BERNAMA
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