KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — Head coach Kim Pan Gon held his first official training session with the Harimau Malaya today, overseeing 25 of the 30 players shortlisted for the stint ahead of next week’s FAS Three-Nation 2022 Series.
Three of the players who could not report for duty today were Negeri Sembilan’s Khair Muhammad Jefri Jones, who is undergoing self-quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19; Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Muhammad Safawi Rasid (personal problems); and Petaling Jaya City FC’s Darren Yee Deng Lok (health issues).
The other two, naturalised players Liridon Krasniqi and Dion Johan Cools, will join up with the team in Singapore next week.
Meanwhile, Pan Gon said the main focus of today’s training session was to ensure the players were in good shape for the series of friendlies.
“Tactically, we (are) going to start the full training tomorrow,” he told reporters when met during the training session.
The Harimau Malaya are set to take on the Philippines on March 23 and hosts Singapore on March 26 in the Tier 1 tri-nation series at the Singapore National Stadium before facing Singapore League side Albirex Niigata at the Jalan Besar Stadium on March 28.
The Harimau Malaya players are expected to train at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil for eight days before leaving for Singapore on March 22.
— Bernama
