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Ngauman amaran

BERSEMANGAT...Afandi yakin skuad Harimau Muda mampu gegar Liga S.
BERSEMANGAT...Afandi yakin skuad Harimau Muda mampu gegar Liga S.
TIGA perlawanan pada siri jelajah Australia yang boleh dirangkumkan cukup cemerlang oleh skuad Olimpik negara baru-baru ini seolah-olah memberi amaran kepada lawan mereka pada saingan Liga Singapura (Liga S), bahawa penampilan pertama kali anak buah Ong Kim Swee di negara jiran itu tidak boleh dipandang remeh.
Bermula dengan kemenangan 3-0 ke atas Sydney FC, anak buah Ong Kim Swee kecundang tipis 0-1 kepada Central Coast Marines FC sebelum melakar kemenangan besar 4-1 ke atas lawan sama kelmarin.

Mungkin bagi pihak yang kerap mengkritik, ia bukanlah pencapaian yang boleh dibanggakan, lebih-lebih lagi hanya bertemu lawan berstatus kelab di Liga Australia, namun bagi pengurus pasukan Harimau Muda A, Datuk Afandi Hamzah, apa yang dicapai skuad negara itu amat membanggakan dan cukup penting dalam persiapan bagi mengharungi saingan Liga S, awal tahun depan.
“Pengalaman yang diraih di Australia sebenarnya cukup memberi banyak manfaat kepada skuad negara kita, lebih-lebih lagi untuk menghadapi saingan Liga Singapura tahun depan.

“Di sana nanti (Liga S), saya akui selain pasukan tempatan, banyak pasukan jemputan yang hebat akan bertanding, terutama daripada Perancis (Etoile FC) dan Jepun (Albirex Niigata FC).

“Jadi bagi saya, melalui tiga perlawanan di Australia ini, pemain dapat mempelajari sesuatu yang pastinya diharap dapat dimanfaatkan apabila bersaing di Liga Singapura,” katanya.

Harimau Muda A akan beraksi buat kali pertama dalam Liga S musim depan menerusi kerjasama Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) dan Persatuan Bola Sepak Singapura (FAS) yang menyaksikan skuad Young Lions yang dipanggil LionsXII bersaing dalam Liga Malaysia sebagai pertukaran.

Sementara itu, Afandi yang juga Naib Presiden FAM ketika diajukan sasaran skuad negara pada penampilan pertama di Kota Singa itu, berkata tiada sasaran spesifik diletakkan untuk skuad negara.

“Bagi saya, eloklah mereka memfokuskan kepada menimba pengalaman di sana, ini yang penting. Kali pertama bertanding (di Liga S), kita tidak mahu meletakkan sasaran tertentu.

“Saya juga berharap mereka dapat menjadikan saingan ini untuk meningkatkan mutu permainan untuk menghadapi saingan lebih penting pada masa akan datang,” katanya.


HARIAN METRO

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