PETALING JAYA:The playing tour of Japan may open the door for more Malaysian players to get spotted by J-League clubs.
National team manager Datuk Subahan Kamal said the players should take full advantage of the trip, which is strictly by the invitation of the Japan Football Association (JFA).
“The playing stint will be used to the fullest to expose our national players. At the same time we hope to market more of our boys to play in the J-League,” said Subahan from Tokyo yesterday.
At present, two of the Harimau Muda A boys – defender Nazirul Naim Che Hashim and midfielder Wan Zack Haikal Wan Nor – have playing contracts with J-League Division Three outfit FC Ryukyu.
On Thursday, the Malaysians opened their playing tour with a 2-0 defeat to J-League Division One club Shimizu S-Pulse at the Nihondaira Sports Stadium in Shimizu.
Subahan said the club’s Iranian coach Afshin Ghotbi gave a good review of the Malaysian team. He said the club president Naohisa Katayama hopes to have a good working relationship with the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and hopes to receive more teams for training-cum-playing stints with the club.
“It is a good start for FAM and JFA to work together and have a good working synergy,” said Subahan, hoping that some of the promising players like Mahali Jasuli and Putera Nadher Amarhan catch the eyes of the J-League clubs.
Malaysia’s remaining friendlies in Japan are against Division One side Shonan Bellmare today and Division Two’s Tokyo Verdy on July 31.
They will then return home for the friendly against Spanish giants Barcelona at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Aug 10.
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