KUALA LUMPUR – Penang FC are ready to strengthen their grassroots programme under the leadership of Merzagua Abderrazak, with the aim of transitioning players into the senior team.
The Moroccan has joined the Black Panthers for a third stint, this time as technical director, having led the line for them in the 1990s and served as head coach in 2012.
Known as the “Great Merz,” the 57-year-old was a fan favourite during his heyday in Penang, where his goals helped the club secure two league titles in 1998 and 2001.
Speaking to Scoop, Penang FC’s general manager Jeffrey Chew said Abderrazak was also on a mission to boost the talent pool in all the club’s age-group teams.
“Merzagua has a lot of plans, and he’s eager to work with a lot of new talents. I hope we will see some good results. Some of the preseason results have been really good for the under-18 team over the past few months. Hopefully, we can retain them for the under-23 team and also integrate them into our senior team in the years to come.
“It’s hard to finalise the number of talents we are looking for in the years to come, but we are definitely looking at an increase compared to last time. We take grassroots football very seriously in our state, and our initiatives have been active for many years.
“On top of that, we have never failed to pay the players allowances for their services in the tournaments they compete in all categories.
“By giving them good allowances for their services, it automatically creates trust for the parents of the players as they know that their kids will have a bright future and career through football,” said Jeffrey when contacted.
At the same time, Jeffrey also said the club would be relying on Abderrazak’s expertise in helping form a formidable Penang Sukma team to achieve a podium finish in this year’s edition in Sarawak.
“In the Sukma that we participated in two years ago, we were not expecting to win a silver medal.
“The pressure is now on us, as the whole country knows how well our grassroots team has developed compared to the last time.
“Now with Merzagua on board, we are hoping to form a formidable team and hopefully clinch the gold medal in this year’s edition,” Jeffrey added.
Penang FC, under the tutelage of former national player Akmal Rizal, have so far signed two foreign players – Brazilian-born Rodrigo Dias from Kuwaiti club Khaitan SC and Ghanaian Richmond Ankrah on loan from Selangor FC.
The club, affectionately known as the “Black Panthers” by fans, have won the league thrice (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 league with 24 points. – April 13, 2024