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Harimau Malaya sedia mengaum


RAJAGOBAL sudah pasti mahu merencana strategi paling ampuh bagi menghadapi kempen Kelayakan Piala Dunia 2014.


ANDAI dinilai daripada corak permainan kemas dan cantik ketika menentang Etoile FC malam kelmarin, skuad bola sepak kebangsaan dianggap sudah bersedia untuk menghadapi kempen Kelayakan Piala Dunia 2014.

Namun persediaan rapi hanya akan dibuat jurulatih kebangsaan, K. Rajagobal setelah mengetahui lawan yang bakal ditentang Malaysia pada aksi timbal balik pusingan pertama pada 29 Jun dan 3 Julai depan itu pada majlis undian Rabu ini.

Malaysia yang diletakkan antara 16 pasukan ranking terendah di Asia boleh diundi bertemu Afghanistan, Kemboja, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestin, Timor Leste, Macau, Taiwan, Myanmar, Filipina atau Laos.

"Saya mula-mula terkejut dengan kedudukan ranking yang ditetapkan untuk pusingan kelayakan ini kerana jika mengikut ranking semasa, Malaysia berada lebih atas dan sepatutnya mendapat bye.

"Tetapi saya ambil positif untuk pusingan pertama ini kerana kita akan mendapat lebih perlawanan dan lebih bersedia bagi menghadapi pusingan kedua (23 dan 28 Julai)," katanya pada sidang media selepas perlawanan malam kelmarin.


Pada aksi persahabatan di Stadium Jalan Besar, Singapura itu, skuad kebangsaan berjaya mengikat Etoile, kelab dari Perancis 1-1 hasil jaringan Ahmad Fakri Saarani yang akhirnya menamatkan kemarau gol.

Bagaimanapun, jadual padat Liga Super dengan sembilan perlawanan sepanjang April dan lima perlawanan sepanjang Mei hanya memberi ruang untuk skuad kebangsaan dijangka kembali berkumpul bermula 25 Mei depan.

Cuma apa yang menggembirakan Rajagobal, beberapa pemain baru skuad Harimau Malaya yang diberi peluang turun beraksi malam kelmarin telah menunjukkan aksi membanggakan.

"Saya cukup tertarik dengan Azidan Sarudin yang masuk menggantikan Amar Rohidan. Dia beraksi cukup baik. Begitu juga dengan Aidil Zafuan Radzak yang berusaha keras setelah kembali bersama.

"Rizal Fahmi Rosid yang masuk menggantikan Aidil juga saya lihat cukup tenang. Manakala Shahrizal Saad tampak berani di bahagian serangan. Ini semua memberi saya lebih banyak pilihan," jelas Rajagobal.

Pada aksi malam kelmarin, Rajagobal telah melakukan 10 pertukaran sepanjang babak kedua dengan hanya dua pemain tidak diturunkan iaitu Izzaq Faris Ramlan dan K. Gurusamy manakala Etoile hanya membuat empat pertukaran pemain.


Oleh WAN FAKHRUL BAKAR
fakhrul@kosmo.com.my

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