And who better to address this issue than the captain himself?
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) came under a lot scrutiny after they unveiled Malaysia’s 26-men squad for the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers match against Lebanon.
Football fans questioned the choice of players and commented that the squad is full of “old horses”, referring to the veteran players who are supposedly unfit to play for the national team.
Earlier this week, FAM’s secretary-general Datuk Hamidin rubbished those comments, stating that only 9 out of the 26 players are above 30.
“Anyway, sometimes we need the old horses to stir the young troopers.” Datuk Hamidin said in a statement on FAM’s official website.
Malaysia’s national team captain, Amri Yahyah, agrees with Datuk Hamidin. He does not think that age is or should be an issue. What matters is the player’s ability to rise to the occasion and give his best.
“For me, there is no issue with a player’s age. We have a good mix of experience and youngsters in the squad.” The Star quoted Amri as saying.
“What is important is to show the coach that we deserve to be in the team and give our all for Malaysia.” said Amri, who is 36 and the oldest in the squad.
Amri Yahyah is currently at the Padang Seri Gelam training complex in Johor Darul Ta’zim with the rest of his squad, prepping for their first international fixture under new head coach, Nelo Vingada.
According to Amri, the training sessions are going well and the players are “all fired up” for their clash against Lebanon, which will take place at the Larkin stadium.
“The sessions have been great for the coach and the players. We are all fired up to give our best for Vingada and I hope to make the starting XI.” Amri said.
Other posts by Gowri Krishnan
