KUALA LUMPUR – National footballer Junior Eldstal aims to use his experience to inspire and elevate Harimau Malaya’s campaign in the upcoming Merdeka Tournament.
With the tournament scheduled to kick off on Friday (October 13), the 32-year-old centre-back, who plays for Indonesian-based Dewa United, said he has been excited about the reemergence of the tournament and expressed his hopes of lifting the prestigious trophy.
“We have a great understanding within the team, and I’m ready to use my experience to motivate our team to excel in this prestigious tournament.
“This tournament is very important for our preparation for next year’s Asian Cup, and I’m ready to give my 100% by following coach Kim Pan-gon’s tactical advice.
“I have the experience of playing in this tournament in 2013, and I will never forget the goal that I scored in the final in Kuantan against Myanmar,” said Junior, who has won 18 caps for Malaysia.
Junior also expressed his excitement to play at Bukit Jalil National Stadium after a year of not being able to play there due to its refurbishment and the planting of the new Zeon Zoysia grass.
“There’s no place like home; when we play in Bukit Jalil, we don’t only play with 11 players but 12.
“The supporters are the 12th player, and I love the feeling of playing in front of thousands of fans.
“We are planning to take advantage of the improved field condition for our team and lift the trophy together with our home fans,” Junior added.
Meanwhile, Terengganu FC goalkeeper Suhaimi Husin, who has been selected by Pan-gon to be a part of the squad for the first time, hopes to repay his coach’s faith in him by giving his best in the tournament.
“I’m grateful to coach Pan-gon for selecting me to be a part of this wonderful squad.
“It’s indeed going to be tough for me to fight for the main spot in the team with Syihan Hazmi and Azri Ghani, but I will not give up, and I aim to prove myself to the coach through my performance in training so that I can get selected.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my Terengganu (FC) head coach, Tomislav Steinbruckner, for giving me the game minutes that I needed in this year’s Super League campaign. I wouldn’t have been part of this Harimau Malaya squad without him,” added Suhaimi.
Harimau Malaya will kick-start its Merdeka Cup campaign on October 13 against the world’s 102nd-ranked India, while the world number 97-ranked Palestine is still scheduled to play Tajikistan in their opening match on the same day.
The winners of these two matches will advance to the final stage, while the losing team will compete in the third-place match on October 17. – October 9, 2023