Family bond crucial for Harimau Malaya – coach

MELAKA: It is essential for players and staff of the national football team Harimau Malaya to build strong and close family bond among themselves before a powerful squad can be created, said head coach Nelo Vingada.

The veteran Portuguese coach said he was also working hard to forge the spirit with the team and he demanded the same from every Harimau Malaya player and staff.

“We have to choose 11 players (for the first 11) so we need some time to know the players better and the players to know me better. I will not say I know all of them but I know Shafiq Rahim, Baddrul Bakhtiar, Nazirul Naim (Che Hashim) and other players who can play for the team.

“But more importantly it is for all of us is to work harder in building closer ties for us to work as a family, as a strong family bond is most important factor in building a really good team,” he told reporters after the team’s training session at Hang Jebat Stadium, Krubong here yesterday.

Malaysia are scheduled to face Syria in an international friendly match at the same stadium on August 22.

Speaking about the selection for 24 players, Vingada said he did not have much option in terms of talented youngsters to be injected into Harimau Malaya because the under-23 players were currently involved in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.

He said new players had been selected, especially the highly rated Pahang midfielder Kiko Insa and PKNP FC striker Muhammad Shahrel Fikri Mohd Fauzi who were both first time call-ups, and hoped the players could live up to his expectation.