Sumareh allowed to undergo treatment with JDT

Mohamadou Sumareh
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KUALA LUMPUR – The country’s first naturalised player, Mohamadou Sumareh has been excused from attending the ongoing Harimau Malaya centralised training camp following an injury he suffered last weekend.

National football team head coach Tan Cheng Hoe said the 26-year-old, who injured his hamstring during Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) Super League match against Perak FC in Ipoh last Sunday, to undergo treatment with his club side.

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“We know that JDT have the best treatment equipment and facilities, that’s why we allowed him to go. We hope he will be fully recovered when we hold the next centralised training camp (in May),” he said when asked about the player’s absence during a virtual media conference today.

The nine-day centralised training camp, which began in Johor Bahru on Monday, is aimed at getting the Harimau Malaya squad ready for their remaining Group G matches in the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June.

Cheng Hoe was also glad to see striker Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad, whose 22-day-old son Muhammad Aisy Saqeef and mother-in-law were killed in an accident last December, attending training with a positive mindset.

“I feel that he is very positive… he has come with a good mindset and looks cheerful with his teammates. We always give him advice and monitor his performance,” he said.

Meanwhile, newly-wed Mohammad Arif Fadzilah Abu Bakar says he intends to learn as much as he can after earning his first national call-up.

The 24-year-old Terengganu FC player, who was initially on the standby list, received an unexpected call from Cheng Hoe when Sri Pahang FC’s Muhammad Fazly Mazlan had to pull out with a hamstring injury.

Mohammad Arif, who married Nurul Natrah Hidayu Ramle on Feb 6, is aware that La’Vere Corbin-Ong has nailed the left-back position but he is just excited to be in the training squad.

“This is my first time in the national (training) squad… the atmosphere is different. I can learn a lot from the experienced players and coach Cheng Hoe… they have taught me a lot.

“Corbin-Ong is very experienced on the international stage. He has given me pointers and I’ve learnt so much from him. I will do my best for the team and, hopefully, I will get more call-ups,” he said.

The Harimau Malaya are set to resume their World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers, which have been put on hold for more than a year due to COVID-19, against the UAE on June 3, Vietnam (June 11) and Thailand (June 15).

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