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'Malaysia tidak gentar'


RAJAGOBAL turut hadir mewakili Malaysia pada majlis undian di Hanoi, Vietnam semalam.


MALAYSIA telah diundi bersama-sama Indonesia dan Thailand untuk saingan peringkat kumpulan pada Kejohanan Bola Sepak Piala AFF Suzuki 2010 yang akan berlangsung di Jakarta dan Bandung dari 1 hingga 7 Disember depan.
Biarpun dihimpit isu keselamatan berhubung insiden gerakan anti-Malaysia oleh kumpulan Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera) yang semakin menjadi-jadi di negara republik itu, skuad kebangsaan tidak gentar untuk terus beraksi pada kejohanan tersebut.

Setiausaha Agung Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM), Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad berkata, soal penarikan diri daripada saingan di Indonesia itu tidak lagi difikirkan mereka apabila menerima seadanya keputusan majlis undian di Hanoi, Vietnam semalam.
"Setakat ini tiada hasrat untuk kita menarik diri kerana Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah (Timbalan Presiden FAM) sendiri menyatakan bahawa kita perlu teruskan saja penyertaan ini.
"Cuma Tengku Abdullah meminta pihak PSSI (Persatuan Sepak Bola Seluruh Indonesia) supaya dapat memberikan jaminan keselamatan ketika pasukan kita beraksi di Indonesia nanti," kata Azzuddin ketika dihubungi Kosmo! di Hanoi semalam.
Selain Tengku Abdullah dan Azzuddin, turut hadir mewakili Malaysia pada majlis undian tersebut ialah jurulatih kebangsaan, K. Rajagobal.

Mengulas peluang skuad kebangsaan, Rajagobal berkata: "Kami hormat semua pasukan. Tapi dalam bola sepak, tiada perkara yang mudah kerana kita perlu mengambil kira banyak faktor. Bagaimanapun kami tidak gentar berdepan sesiapa saja."
Kumpulan A dibarisi tuan rumah, Indonesia, Malaysia Thailand dan pasukan juara pusingan kelayakan manakala Kumpulan B menampilkan tuan rumah, Vietnam, Singapura, Myanmar dan pasukan naib juara pusingan kelayakan.

PENGARAH besar Suzuki Vietnam, Yoshiyuki Hakamata (dua dari kiri) membuat cabutan pada majlis undian Piala AFF Suzuki 2010 di Hanoi semalam.


Pusingan kelayakan secara liga satu pusingan membabitkan empat pasukan iaitu Laos, Kemboja, Filipina dan Timor Leste akan berlangsung di Laos dari 22 hingga 26 Oktober depan.
Malaysia akan memulakan kempen Piala AFF Suzuki 2010 dengan bertemu Indonesia pada 1 Disember, Thailand pada 4 Disember dan pasukan juara pusingan kelayakan pada 7 Disember depan.
Saingan separuh akhir akan berlangsung secara timbal balik pada 15 dan 16 Disember serta 18 dan 19 Disember manakala aksi final juga berlangsung secara timbal balik pada 26 dan 29 Disember depan.
Pada edisi 2008, Malaysia gagal ke separuh akhir setelah hanya menang 3-0 kepada Laos tetapi tewas kepada Vietnam (2-3) dan Thailand (0-3) pada saingan Kumpulan B yang berlangsung di Phuket, Thailand.

Oleh WAN FAKHRUL BAKAR
fakhrul@kosmo.com.my

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