Give your best against the UAE - Reezal Merican

KUALA LUMPUR: All eyes will be on the national football team, who have undergone two weeks of intensive training, to do their best when they take on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the second round of the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup qualifiers in Dubai today (12.45 am Friday Malaysian time).

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said he appreciated the commitment shown by the Harimau Malaya players as well as the team management.

He said that no matter who is fielded by head coach Tan Cheng Hoe for the match at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, every player should repay the faith shown in them by giving their best.

"Aidil Zafuan, as the skipper, should lead the team, goalkeeper Farizal Marlias protect the goalmouth well, so too all the other players we are counting on like Safawi, Matt Davies, Sumareh and De Paula as well as all the others I did not mention... just give your best," he said in a video clip on his official Facebook page today.

Reezal Merican also urged all Harimau Malaya fans to continue to support the team by watching the game live on TV1 and Astro Arena at 12.45 am tomorrow.

SPORTS-FOOTBALL (HARIMAU MALAYA) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

After the UAE game, Malaysia will continue their Group G campaign in the qualifiers by taking on Vietnam on June 11 and Thailand on June 15 in Dubai.

Malaysia are currently in second spot in Group G with nine points, two behind leaders Vietnam while Thailand are third with eight points, the UAE fourth with six points (but with a game in hand) and Indonesia last with not a single point.

Meanwhile, in a separate video, Reezal Merican said 30 Harimau Malaya jerseys would be given out to lucky fans as a token of appreciation for their undivided support.

To win them, fans will have to pen words of encouragement to the national team in the comment column of the video and the most creative comments would be picked as winners. The winners will be contacted and notified tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA