Goalkeeper Mohd Khairulazhan Mohd Khalid (pic) rejoin training ahead of the team’s final Group B match in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup against Indonesia on December 19. — Picture from Twitter/Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — The Harimau Malaya squad can heave a huge sigh of relief now that three out of the four players who tested positive for Covid-19 have been given the nod to rejoin training ahead of the team’s final Group B match in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup against Indonesia on December 19.
Goalkeeper Muhammad Khairulazhan Mohd Khalid, winger Muhammad Faisal Abdul Halim and defender Quentin Cheng received their release letters from Singapore’s Ministry of Health yesterday.
National head coach Tan Cheng Hoe said Muhammad Khairulazhan and Muhammad Faisal had each completed their 10-day isolation orders while Quentin was given an early release based on the result of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that was carried out.
“All three players resumed training with the team, starting with gym work since today is our recovery day after our match against Vietnam yesterday.
“One more player, Akhyar Rashid, has yet to complete the 10-day isolation order,” he said in a statement issued by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today.
The national team’s campaign in the 2020 AFF Cup got off to a rocky start when the four players tested positive for Covid-19, leaving Cheng Hoe with just 19 players to choose from (defender Dion Cools is only set to join up with the team on December 16).
Meanwhile, Cheng Hoe confirmed that skipper Mohamad Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak and Shahrul Mohd Saad were substituted during the 3-0 loss to Vietnam yesterday due to hamstring injuries.
“For the centreback position, we still have Dominic Tan, who is injury-free, although Junior Eldstal is still recovering from abdominal muscle injury.
“But we still have Dion Cools who is expected to arrive here in Singapore on Thursday (December 16) and he can fill the centreback spot if Aidil and Shahrul do not recover in time for Sunday’s match against Indonesia,” said Cheng Hoe.
After three matches, the Harimau Malaya are in third spot with six points. Indonesia and Vietnam also have six points each but they have both played just two matches. Cambodia and Laos are fourth and fifth with no points. — Bernama