Palmero impresses on Harimau Malaya debut in Cape Verde draw
Facing the 72nd-ranked team in the world, the Tenerife-born midfielder showed no nerves and nearly marked the occasion with a memorable moment of his own.
Palmero, 23, caught the eye in the sixth minute with a long-range effort that beat Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Diaz, but unfortunately struck the post.
His composure and dynamic play in midfield showcased the true quality of the player, who made his first appearance for world No. 131 Malaysia.
Despite receiving praise for his performance, Palmero remained grounded, saying there is still plenty of room for improvement.
"This was only my first match. I'll continue working hard to become a better player," he said after the game.
Palmero also thanked his teammates for their support and said there were no communication issues during the match.
"I communicate in English, and I understand what they're saying. The language of football itself is universal enough for us to understand each other," he added.
Malaysia scored through Paulo Josue in the 79th minute, cancelling out Sidney Cabral's ninth-minute goal for Cape Verde.
Meanwhile, national coach Peter Cklamovski made it clear there is no distinction between local-born, heritage, or naturalised players once they put on the Harimau Malaya jersey.
The Australian coach said all players are considered Malaysians and deserve a chance to play if they show quality and commitment in training and matches.
"For me, it doesn't matter whether a player is local, heritage, or naturalised. What matters is that they give their best for Malaysia," he said.
Cklamovski earlier made a bold move by naming seven local-born players in the starting line-up against Cape Verde.
He explained that player selections were made in three phases, due to the recent end of the domestic league season, which required a staggered approach for the centralised training camp.
"We split the programme into three phases to help players adapt and reduce the risk of injury after the league season," he said.
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