Four get national call-up
Published on: Saturday, July 04, 2020
By: GL Oh
Bernama pic
Kota Kinabalu: Four Sabah Youth Cup players have been called up by National Under-19 head coach Brad Maloney (pic) for a three-week training camp at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya starting Monday (July 6) until July 26 in preparation for the AFC Under-19 Championship Final in Uzbekistan from Oct 14 until Oct 31.Captain Yuseril Yusekil together with midfielder Mohd Nazemizan Naslon, striker Mohd Nasip Mohd Zain and goalkeeper Azlizan Azlan are among the 35 shortlisted names released by Football Association Malaysia (FAM) on Thursday where only 23 will make the final squad.
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It is the second national call-up for Nasip who made it to the final squad to represent Malaysia in the AFF Under-18 tournament in Vietnam last year while the other three, their first.
Sabah Under-19 head coach Johnny Dominicus who led Sabah into third place in group B table standing this season with 10 points from three wins, one draw and a defeat before the competition was suspended followed by cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic is delighted with the recognition shown by the national body on the foursome.
“I believe the four players fully deserved the call up especially with their performance and quality display for the state’s Under-19 squad this season although it lasted only for a short spell.
“Their hard work and dedication have paid off for them and I hope they will grab the opportunity and give their very best during the trial and get into the final squad to prove that Sabah is capable of producing quality national players,” he said on Friday.
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He said the achievement is due to the support from Sabah Football Association (Safa) and to this he expressed gratitude to Safa President, Datuk Peter Anthony, for his leadership.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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“I must thank Datuk Peter for his leadership and Safa management for their support in the development of football in Sabah.
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“Needless to say, our team manager, Datuk Rahman Zakaria also played a big role in taking care of the team as well as the coaching staff this season in helping to develop the players to what they are today. I also want to thank all the coaches in the districts who helped us to scout for new talents.”