New reinforcements: (from left) Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Imanol Machuca posing for a picture during a training session. — FAM
PETALING JAYA: Just two day after a sobering 0-3 defeat to Cape Verde, the national football team have injected a fresh wave of optimism with the inclusion of four new faces ahead of their crucial 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier against Vietnam on June 10 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Following the arrival of 25-year-old Argentinian-born centreback Facundo Garces on Tuesday, Harimau Malaya have officially welcomed four more mixed-heritage players – dubbed “Malaysians Abroad” – into the fold. They are winger Imanol Machuca, centreback Jon Irazabal, and forwards Rodrigo Holgado and Joao Figueiredo.
