Kuala Lumpur: National player, Faisal Halim, is determined to repay the trust of head coach Peter Cklamovski by helping Harimau Malaya achieve success if given an opportunity to join the squad for upcoming matches.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Faisal expressed his readiness and commitment to give his best, serving as a morale booster for the team to perform with greater spirit and achieve encouraging results. The Selangor FC winger noted this is his second call-up from the Australian-born head coach, marking an important opportunity to regain what he had previously missed.
“Alhamdulillah…I received another call from coach (Cklamovski) and I am determined to rediscover my previous rhythm of play… in fact, now I am more enthusiastic and want to forget the dark moments that happened,” Faisal stated. He added that while he is prepared to give his best, the final decision lies with the coach. He shared these thoughts during a press conference for the Tier 1 international friendly against Cape Verde and the second Group F match of the 2026/2027 Asia Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium.
Faisal further emphasized the significance of the match on May 29, which serves as preparation for facing Vietnam, a higher-ranked team. He remarked that rankings do not define the game’s outcome, and the squad aims to demonstrate a quality performance on the field to assess their readiness against Vietnam.
Meanwhile, head coach Peter Cklamovski expressed satisfaction with the training sessions held in Johor Bahru, which have progressed into the second phase. This phase focuses on forming game formations and implementing tactics, with the involvement of several Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) players. Cklamovski mentioned that Endrick Dos Santos appeared less fit, having trained for just one day, and would need some rest for recovery. Goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, however, was reported to be in satisfactory physical condition.
Cklamovski also commented on the inclusion of legacy players Rodrigo Holgado and Gabriel Palmeiro, who first joined the Harimau Malaya training camp in preparation for the match against Vietnam in the third round of Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers. He noted it is still too early to evaluate these players who have just begun training. Additionally, five goalkeepers were called up for training, but only four participated in the second phase before facing Cape Verde on May 29. Haziq Nadzli will temporarily join the Asian All-Stars squad against Manchester United on May 28 and will return afterward.