Trust Harimau Malaya management on heritage player selection - Former player
Azlan Johar believes the Harimau Malaya management thoroughly evaluated both players before recruiting them and that their inclusion should not be a matter of dispute.
SHAH ALAM - Former national striker Azlan Johar has urged football fans to give heritage players a fair chance, as debate raged over the inclusion of Hector Hevel and Gabriel Palmero in the Harimau Malaya squad.
The duo recently joined the national team’s training sessions ahead of their upcoming match against Nepal at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium next Tuesday.
However, their selection triggered controversy among netizens, with some questioning their eligibility due to their lack of experience in top-tier leagues.
Hevel, 28, is a midfielder who plays for Portuguese club Portimonense, currently positioned 13th in the country’s second division.
Meanwhile, Palmero, a 23-year-old defender, is on loan at Spanish fourth-division side CD Tenerife B from Las Palmas.
Azlan believes the Harimau Malaya management thoroughly evaluated both players before recruiting them and that their inclusion should not be a matter of dispute.
"In my opinion, we need to trust the Harimau Malaya management and head coach Peter Cklamovski in selecting and determining the direction of our national football team.
"Moreover, the government has provided significant support to the national team to ensure that the people get the best possible performance from our players.
"The involvement of these players has certainly been thoroughly assessed by the management, and we should have confidence in them. Besides, finding Grade A players is not easy," he told Sinar.
He stressed that fans should reserve judgment on heritage players until they have seen them in action with the national team.
While these players may not be competing in top-tier leagues, he pointed out that their potential impact should be assessed based on how well they integrate with Harimau Malaya’s squad.
"The coach surely knows how to integrate heritage players with local players to create a performance that will please the fans.
"So, let us not be too quick to be negative and instead give them a chance to prove themselves," he added.
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