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The Star
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Syamer ready to fight for greater role and more playtime after joining KL
New challenge: Syamer Kutty Abba posing for a photograph after signing for Kuala Lumpur. — Kuala Lumpur City PETALING JAYA: Syamer Kutty Abba is ready for the grind, and he's picked the heart of the city to prove he belongs at the top. The 27-year-old defensive midfielder has made the move to Kuala Lumpur, on-loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), in search of greater responsibility and consistent game time. 'I was encouraged by JDT to join KL's challenge for the new season,' said the 42-cap Malaysian international. 'When I heard their plans, I was all in. It's a new challenge, and it pushes me to fight for my place.' That fight won't come easily. The competition in KL's midfield is fierce, with established names like Kenny Pallraj, Zhafri Yahya, Ryan Lambert, and Arif Syaqirin already in the squad. On top of that, two foreign midfielders, both reportedly from Spain, are set to join the fray. But for Syamer, that only raises the stakes and his drive. 'All the midfielders here are versatile and bring different strengths. I know I have to be at my best every day to earn my spot in the starting eleven.' In just five days of training, Syamer has already made his presence felt with his trademark intensity and tactical discipline. Kuala Lumpur's coaching staff see him as a potential midfield enforcer, a hardman who can dictate the tempo and break up opposition play. For Syamer, the bigger picture remains clear, he wants to be back in the Harimau Malaya jersey. Despite the emergence of several mixed heritage players and new options in central midfield, Syamer believes his experience and hunger still give him a seat at the table. 'When it comes to the national team, I'll do whatever it takes to wear that jersey. 'It's a pride and honour. From the day I turned professional, my goal has always been to represent Malaysia.' And the credentials are there. He was part of the side that lifted the 2024 Merdeka Tournament, finished as runner-up in the 2019 AFF Suzuki Cup, and was even named in the tournament's best XI. 'In life, you've got to keep pushing to be better. In football, there's always something to learn. At KL, I want minutes, I want growth, and I want to fight my way back into the national team.' With his mindset and motivation, Syamer's return to the top could just be a matter of time.
Barnama
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Cklamovski's Impact On Harimau Malaya Still Too Early To Call
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Former national football team head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal feels that it is still too early to evaluate current coach Peter Cklamovski's impact on Harimau Malaya. Rajagobal, however, believes that the team showed an improved performance in their 1-1 draw in the friendly against Cape Verde at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on Thursday (May 29). Although he was quick to point out that the Harimau Malaya squad still need to work hard to continue to improve, he also expressed confidence in Cklamovski, saying 'he (Cklamovski) knows what he is doing'. bootstrap slideshow 'Every coach has his plans. We can see from his second game in charge (against Cape Verde), there is an improvement, although they still have room for improvement. Cklamovski knows which team they will be facing and the players he will field against Vietnam (in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers on June 10) 'I can't give an evaluation now. Usually, it will take about 10 matches before one can assess if there has been an improvement or not,' he told reporters during the media conference to launch his book titled 'Inilah Saya K. Rajagobal' (This is me, K. Rajagobal) at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival here today. In the May 29 friendly, world number 131 Malaysia needed a 79th-minute Paulo Josue equaliser to hold world number 72 Cape Verde to a 1-1 draw. The national team will take on Cape Verde a second time, in a closed-door friendly, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (June 3). The friendlies against Cape Verde are part of Malaysia's preparations for the crucial games against Vietnam in their second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium on June 10. Meanwhile, Rajagobal, who guided Malaysia to the gold medal in the 2009 Laos SEA Games and the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup triumph, described his book as an effort to inspire the younger generation and serve as a medium for him to share his coaching experiences with future generations.
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Cklamovski's impact on Harimau Malaya still too early to call
FORMER national football team head coach Datuk K. Rajagopal feels that it is still too early to evaluate current coach Peter Cklamovski's impact on Harimau Malaya. Rajagopal, however, believes that the team showed an improved performance in their 1-1 draw in the friendly against Cape Verde at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on Thursday (May 29). Although he was quick to point out that the Harimau Malaya squad still need to work hard to continue to improve, he also expressed confidence in Cklamovski, saying 'he (Cklamovski) knows what he is doing'. 'Every coach has his plans. We can see from his second game in charge (against Cape Verde), there is an improvement, although they still have room for improvement. Cklamovski knows which team they will be facing and the players he will field against Vietnam (in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers on June 10) 'I can't give an evaluation now. Usually, it will take about 10 matches before one can assess if there has been an improvement or not,' he told reporters during the media conference to launch his book titled 'Inilah Saya K. Rajagobal' (This is me, K. Rajagobal) at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival here today. In the May 29 friendly, world number 131 Malaysia needed a 79th-minute Paulo Josue equaliser to hold world number 72 Cape Verde to a 1-1 draw. The national team will take on Cape Verde a second time, in a closed-door friendly, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (June 3). The friendlies against Cape Verde are part of Malaysia's preparations for the crucial games against Vietnam in their second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium on June 10. Meanwhile, Rajagopal, who guided Malaysia to the gold medal in the 2009 Laos SEA Games and the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup triumph, described his book as an effort to inspire the younger generation and serve as a medium for him to share his coaching experiences with future generations. 'The inspiration for writing this book came from my eldest son. Many legends never wrote or documented their life journeys for reference... not just my own story, but those of other legends as well. This is my opportunity to share that struggle with the younger generation. 'I have stories about how I faced challenges and hardships that I want to share not only with sports fans but with all Malaysians. I felt that I had to write this to contribute something meaningful to the sports arena in the country,' said Rajagopal, who also used to coach Brunei.
The Star
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Players who've earned their stripes on current form should be Harimau's top picks
BEFORE walking into the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) headquarters for the latest Harimau Malaya squad announcement, I did what I always do – pause at the photo wall just outside the auditorium. There's one frame that always gets me. It's from the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup where you see faces contorted in joy after a hard-earned goal.
Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
BookTalk: Former footballer Aleksandar Duric's favourite childhood books travelled around world with him
Aleksandar Duric, a former professional Singaporean footballer, with his favourite book, The Bridge On The Drina by Ivo Andric. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALEKSANDAR DURIC Who: Aleksandar Duric, 54, is a former professional footballer who is now the principal of the ActiveSG Football Academy, Sport Singapore. He is an eight-time Singapore Premier League (S-League) title winner, a three-time Golden Boot winner and a three-time S-League Player of the Ye ar. He was also part of the national team that clinched the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup. His 2016 autobiography, Aleksandar Duric: Beyond Borders, documented the impact of the Bosnian War on him and his family, and how he came to play in more than 50 matches as a Singapore national team player. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
