KUALA LUMPUR − The national squad has been dealt another blow in their 2020 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup campaign in Singapore as two more national players have tested positive for Covid-19.
Head coach Tan Cheng Hoe said the two were winger Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid, who was named man of the match in the opening Group B fixture against Cambodia on Monday, and defender Quentin Cheng.
“Of course, Akhyar played very well in the previous match, but due to testing positive for Covid-19, he couldn’t play this afternoon,” he said during the press conference following Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Laos at the Bishan Stadium in Singapore yesterday.
Meanwhile, team manager Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi − when contacted by Bernama − informed that Quentin, who is a Selangor FC player, was also confirmed positive for Covid-19 in the screening test at the same time.
The latest development sees four out of 24 players from the Harimau Malaya squad in Singapore currently unavailable due to testing positive for Covid-19 − with goalkeeper Muhammad Khairulazhan Mohd Khalid and winger Muhammad Faisal Abdul Halim testing positive on Sunday.
Khairulazhan and Faisal − both asymptomatic − were ordered to undergo self-quarantine for ten days and are almost certain to miss the first three Group B matches.
In the action against Laos yesterday evening, the national team easily defeated the squad managed by Singapore-born coach V. Selvaraj to record Harimau Malaya’s second victory in the group stage.
Malaysia is scheduled to face defending champions Vietnam on Sunday before facing traditional rivals Indonesia in the final Group B action on December 19. – Bernama, December 10, 2021
