KUALA LUMPUR – Penang FC anticipates that its newly appointed head coach, Akmal Rizal, will play a central role in attracting top-tier players to the club.
The 42-year-old former national footballer assumed the head coach role in January of this year after serving as the club’s assistant and under-21 coach from 2020 to early this year.
The northwest club, affectionately known as the Black Panthers by fans, has been able to access several foreign players under Akmal’s leadership over the past two months, aiming to build a formidable team for the upcoming 2024/2025 season and achieve a mid-table finish.
Speaking to Scoop, Penang FC general manager, Jeffrey Chew Gim Eam, said that the club’s recruitment planning for new season recruits has been going well since Akmal came on board.
“Players enjoy working under Akmal, and his presence has attracted numerous foreign players to train with us for trials over the last two months,” Jeffrey said.
“We have the French, Koreans, and Brazilians coming to the club for trials over the last two months, and we are in the midst of discussing who are the right players to sign for the club.
“Over the last two to three years, we must admit that our planning was inadequate. Over the years, we relied on trial and error and last-minute planning.
“Akmal has been working on the clear message given to him, which is not to overkill and overspend, and Akmal knows what needs to be done.
“With his presence on the team, we can definitely finish better than last season, fighting for seventh place in the Super League,” said Jeffrey when contacted.
To date, the club has signed two foreign players – Brazilian-born Rodrigo Dias from Kuwait-based Khaitan Sporting Club FC and Ghanaian-born Richmond Ankrah on loan from Selangor FC.
The club has also pledged not to bring in too many foreign players, despite the Malaysian Football League allowing clubs to register up to nine import players.
At the same time, Jeffrey said that the signings of Rodrigo and Richmond will help to fill offensive and defensive voids in the coming years.
“We have always had a defensive issue, and the coaches suggested that Richmond would be the best candidate to fill the voids in our defence. He has not been getting the game time he deserves at Selangor FC, and we plan to utilise his expertise in our club.
“We have also done this before, where we once brought in Quentin Cheng, who didn’t get enough game time at his club. So Penang is always available for players who need more game time and to be noticeable, and we hope Richmond will add additional value to us.
“Rodrigo was a player that coach Akmal had been looking for a long time. And to be real, we didn’t sign him by just watching random YouTube highlights; we made sure that we attended all his games, and the scouting team analysed his gameplay and only brought him on board after going through several trials at the club.
“This season, we had the luxury of time and hope these individuals will play well, and we hope to extend their contracts. We are still looking to get more players on loan this season,” Jeffrey added.
Penang FC holds the record for winning the league three times (1982, 1998, and 2001), the FA Cup once (2002), and the Malaysia Cup four times (1953, 1954, 1958, and 1974).
This season’s Super League campaign is expected to begin on May 10.
Last season, the club finished 10th in the Super League with 24 points. – April 13, 2024