SEPANG, Dec 6 — Malaysian midfielder Mohamed Syamer Kutty Abba has vowed to lead the Harimau Malaya to a strong performance at the 2024 Asean Cup in Phnom Penh, making it a fitting farewell for head coach Pau Marti Vicente.
Mohamed Syamer said the confirmation of the Spaniard’s departure from the team after the tournament has deeply impacted them.
“Everyone knows coach Pau Marti has been with the national team for a long time, and of course, this news affects us.
“However, we hope to give him a good farewell gift in this tournament in appreciation of all he has done for the team. This is the perfect stage for us to deliver something meaningful,” he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today.
The Harimau Malaya squad left for Phnom Penh this morning and will play Cambodia in their opening match on Sunday.
Yesterday, Pau Marti stunned the local football scene by confirming that the 2024 Asean Cup, scheduled from December 8 to January 5, will mark his final assignment as head coach of the national squad.
The decision follows discussions with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) regarding the restructuring of the national team’s management.
For the 2024 Asean Cup, Malaysia are in Group A with defending champions Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, while Group B has the last edition's runners-up Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
The Penang-born Mohamed Syamer is among those selected to captain the team, alongside Dominic Tan and Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad, for this Asean Cup campaign.
— Bernama
