Women footballers making final prepara ons
Na onal women’s football squad head coach Asyraaf Fong Abdullah wants to capitalise on all three friendly matches this and next month to complete his team’s prepara on for the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
KOTA KINABALU: National women’s football squad head coach Asyraaf Fong Abdullah wants to capitalise on all three friendly matches this and next month to complete his team’s preparation for the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
The team which is in its final phase of preparation will play two friendly matches with the Indian national team on July 29 and 31. After meeting with the champions of South Asia, Asyraaf’s squad will face either Hong Kong, Taiwan or Jordan on August 13.
“I believe the three matches will cap the final preparation that we are making before marching into the SEA Games challenge in which we have set our sights on the bronze medal.
“It will be tough facing the likes of Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam because they have all left us behind before this.
“However, we have worked hard and, based on the progress we have made, I believe it is not impossible to achieve our target,” Asyraaf said when contacted in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The national squad, which have undergone three phases of training based in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, is currently in the national capital for their final phase of preparation for the SEA Games on August 19 to 30.
The friendly matches will be played in Kuala Lumpur to help the national squad to familiarise themselves with the competition venue.
Earlier, the national squad mostly comprising players from Sabah showed great form to win several friendly matches played against Nepal in May.
They drew with their South Asian runner-up champions 11 at the Likas Stadium before bouncing back to win 4-1 at the UMS Stadium several days later.
For the record, the last time Malaysia won a SEA Games medal in women’s football was in Chiang Mai, Thailand back in 1995. Malaysia settled for the silver medal then after being edged 1-0 in the final by the host team.
Meanwhile, it is the first time for Tawau-born Asyraaf, who is director of the sports centre at UMS, to be leading the national team.