KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — The absence of senior players in the national Under-23 (U-23) squad for the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam next month will open up opportunities for a new generation to shine, said young national striker Muhammad Hadi Fayyadh Abdul Razak.
Hadi Fayyadh, who plays for Japanese third division league club Azul Claro Numazu, said the biennial Games is the best stage for young players to gain experience to improve their performance.
“This is also good for preparation for the U-23 Asian Cup. So I think this is a positive decision made by coach Brad (Brad Maloney),” he said when met at the squad’s training session at Kompleks Sukan Institut Penilaian Negara (Inspen) in Bangi last night.
The 22-year-old, who joined the team yesterday, is among 31 players listed by Maloney for the centralised training camp ahead of the Hanoi SEA Games with only the best 20 players to be selected to take on Malaysia’s challenge.
According to the list released, not a single senior player was called up although Maloney had the option of signing two players over the age of 23 to add to the team’s strength in Hanoi.
Even though the services of senior players will not be available, Hadi Fayyadh is optimistic that the national squad will still be able to face the intense challenge they will face as he feels the players called up have their own strengths and potential.
“I see all the players are able to adapt well – that is a positive sign and I hope whatever happens, we (players) have to be united, work hard and not give in easily,” said Hadi Fayyadh, who will be making his second appearance at the SEA Games after the 2019 edition in the Philippines.
Commenting on the rivalry in Hanoi, he said each team have their own strengths and shortcoming and as players, they need to make thorough preparations and always be ready to be fielded.
Malaysia, who is drawn in Group B at the biennial Games, is scheduled to face Thailand on May 7, Laos (May 11), Singapore (May 14) and Cambodia (May 16) at Thien Truong Stadium, Nam Dinh to grab one of two slots to the semi-finals.
In the 2019 edition, the national team under the guidance of Datuk Ong Kim Swee failed to get past the group stage, after winning the silver medal in the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
The last time Malaysia won the gold medal in the men’s football event of the SEA Games was in the 2011 edition in Indonesia when Kim Swee was also the coach.
— Bernama
