Ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya, Tan Cheng Hoe, memberi bayangan awal bahawa pemain tengah Pahang, Nor Azam Azih, dijangka kembali memperkuatkan jentera tengah skuad kebangsaan untuk menghadapi dua aksi Kumpulan G, pusingan kedua kelayakan Piala Dunia 2022/Piala Asia 2023 di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil pertengahan bulan depan.
Bagaimanapun, pengendali berusia 51 tahun itu enggan membuat keputusan terburu-buru dan akan menunggu sama ada pemain berusia 24 tahun itu akan diturunkan oleh pengendali Pahang, Dollah Salleh, untuk aksi separuh akhir kedua Piala Malaysia berdepan Kedah di Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan, Sabtu ini sebelum membuat keputusan muktamad.
Nor Azam yang mengalami kecederaan buku lali kanan dilaporkan mengambil ubat penahan sakit sewaktu turun beraksi berdepan Kedah dalam aksi separuh akhir pertama di Stadium Darul Aman, Alor Setar, Sabtu lalu yang menyaksikan kedua-dua pasukan seri 3-3.
"Kami amat memerlukan khidmat Nor Azam untuk dua aksi penting menentang Thailand dan Indonesia pada 14 dan 19 November nanti, namun saya akan membuat keputusan selepas aksi kedua separuh akhir Piala Malaysia di Kuantan nanti," katanya kepada Bernama, hari ini.
Untuk rekod, Nor Azam tidak beraksi sewaktu Malaysia menang besar 6-0 ke atas Sri Lanka dalam aksi persahabatan antarabangsa Tier 1 di Bukit Jalil pada 5 Oktober lalu selain tidak dibawa ke Hanoi sewaktu Malaysia tewas 0-1 kepada Vietnam di Stadium Nasional My Dinh, 10 Oktober lalu.
Sementarar itu, Cheng Hoe mengakui Harimau Malaya perlu kembali bangkit memburu kemenangan menentang Thailand dan Indonesia dalam misi menghidupkan semula peluang Malaysia untuk sekurang-kurangnya menempah tiket secara automatik ke pusingan akhir Piala Asia 2023 di China.
Sebelum itu, Malaysia akan diuji oleh pasukan ranking ke-115 dunia, Tajikistan, dalam aksi pemanas badan di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil pada 9 November nanti.
Malaysia kini menduduki tangga keempat daripada lima pasukan selepas tiga perlawanan.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Tue Oct 22 2019


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