Latest news with #GabrielPalmero
Sinar Daily
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Sinar Daily
More heritage players essential for Harimau Malaya's strength
Football legend backs more heritage players for Harimau Malaya Harimau Malaya players in action against Vietnam on June 10. Photo: Malaysia NT SHAH ALAM - National football legend Datuk Jamal Nasir Ismail sees no issue with Harimau Malaya continuing to recruit heritage players to strengthen the national squad, especially in their mission to go further on the international stage. He believes the presence of more heritage players will not only boost team performance but also significantly enhance Malaysia's chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and even the bigger dream of reaching the 2030 FIFA World Cup. He pointed to Malaysia's recent 4-0 win against Vietnam, powered by newly recruited quality heritage players, as proof that the team is on the right track. The inclusion of even more such players, he said, will ensure Malaysia remains competitive. 'I don't see any problem with having more heritage players. This is for the good of Malaysian football. We're not just aiming to compete in Asia. Our real dream is to play in the World Cup. 'For the 2027 Asian Cup, our chances look promising and now we must also focus our efforts on the 2030 World Cup, five years from now. "We need to be realistic and start now with the best heritage players so we can compete against teams like the Arab nations, Australia, Japan and South Korea. "If we can match their level, the path to the World Cup will be easier. Besides, these heritage players have Malaysian blood. So, there's nothing wrong with relying on their abilities," he told Sinar. The current national squad has been strengthened with new heritage players such as Gabriel Palmero, Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Facundo Garces. Their immediate positive impact was felt as Malaysia broke an 11-year winless streak against Vietnam, dominating with a 4-0 victory in the Group F clash of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at Bukit Jalil National Stadium recently. There's ongoing speculation that several more 'Grade A' heritage players may soon don the national jersey, adding even more value to the squad. However, no official confirmation has been given by the Harimau Malaya management or the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). While Jamal acknowledged the importance of local players in the national team, he admitted that they are currently not at a level that allows them to compete on the world stage. He stated that for now, hope lies in the heritage players, but that shouldn't stop efforts to develop high-quality local talent. 'That's why in the next five years, we must produce more talented young local players who can compete. They will surely be motivated to match the quality of the heritage players. It'll motivate and drive them to break into the national squad,' he said.
New Straits Times
30-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Palmero impresses on Harimau Malaya debut in Cape Verde draw
KUALA LUMPUR: New heritage recruit Gabriel Palmero made an immediate impact on his debut for Harimau Malaya in Thursday's 1-1 friendly draw with Cape Verde at the KLFA Stadium. 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.
Malay Mail
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
YouTube-taught and Malaysia-proud: Harimau Malaya newbie Palmero belts out ‘Negaraku' before Cape Verde draw (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — The latest Harimau Malaya heritage player, Gabriel Palmero, turned to YouTube to memorise the national anthem Negaraku ahead of his international debut against Cape Verde in a Tier 1 international match here last night. The 23-year-old defender, who performed impressively, said he practised hard to sing Negaraku as best as he could. 'I tried. I watched YouTube and practised a lot to sing the anthem,' he told reporters after the friendly, which saw Malaysia hold world number 72 Cape Verde to a 1-1 draw at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras. The match saw Paulo Josue get off the bench to score an equaliser in the 79th minute and deny Cape Verde victory after Sidny Lopes Cabral had given them an early eighth-minute lead. Palmero, who played for about 80 minutes before being substituted, impressed on the right side and came close to scoring himself after his long-range strike hit the post in just the seventh minute. The Spanish CD Tenerife B player said he had no issues adapting to his new teammates and that helped him perform well in the game. 'My English isn't perfect but I try to speak and communicate. Football is a universal language, so it's easy to connect with my teammates on the pitch,' he said. Malaysia will face Cape Verde a second time in a friendly played behind closed doors 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. Vietnam and Malaysia jointly top the group with three points each after winning their opening matches. — Bernama
Sinar Daily
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Sinar Daily
Credit to Palmero for learning to sing Negaraku via YouTube
The 23-year-old defender, who performed impressively, said he practised hard to sing Negaraku as best as he could. 30 May 2025 01:43pm Palmero, who played for about 80 minutes before being substituted, impressed on the right side and came close to scoring himself after his long-range strike hit the post in just the seventh minute. - Screenshot from social media KUALA LUMPUR - The latest Harimau Malaya heritage player, Gabriel Palmero, turned to YouTube to memorise the national anthem Negaraku ahead of his international debut against Cape Verde in a Tier 1 international match here last night. The 23-year-old defender, who performed impressively, said he practised hard to sing Negaraku as best as he could. Malaysia will face Cape Verde a second time in a friendly played behind closed doors at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (June 3). - Bernama photo "I tried. I watched YouTube and practised a lot to sing the anthem,' he told reporters after the friendly, which saw Malaysia hold world number 72 Cape Verde to a 1-1 draw at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras. The match saw Paulo Josue get off the bench to score an equaliser in the 79th minute and deny Cape Verde victory after Sidny Lopes Cabral had given them an early eighth-minute lead. Palmero, who played for about 80 minutes before being substituted, impressed on the right side and came close to scoring himself after his long-range strike hit the post in just the seventh minute. The Spanish CD Tenerife B player said he had no issues adapting to his new teammates and that helped him perform well in the game. "My English isn't perfect but I try to speak and communicate. Football is a universal language, so it's easy to connect with my teammates on the pitch,' he said. Malaysia will face Cape Verde a second time in a friendly played behind closed doors 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. Vietnam and Malaysia jointly top the group with three points each after winning their opening matches. - BERNAMA More Like This
Malay Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Paulo Josue's late strike saves Malaysia from blushes in 1-1 friendly draw against 72nd-ranked Cape Verde
KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Courageous Malaysia were in a class of their own when they drew 1-1 against Cape Verde, ranked 72nd in the world, in a Tier 1 international football friendly at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras here last night. Substitute striker Paulo Josue scored an equaliser with about 10 minutes remaining to save the honour of the Harimau Malaya squad in front of their own fans after defender Sidny Lopes Cabral had put Cape Verde ahead early in the first half. In the first clash between the two teams on the competitive stage, coach Cklamovski signalled the importance of local players when he fielded seven homegrown footballers in the starting XI while the latest naturalised player Gabriel Palmero was given the chance to make his debut for Malaysia. Malaysia, ranked 131st in the world gave an early warning to the visitors when Palmero's shot from outside the penalty area hit the post in the seventh minute, but Cape Verde were first in front through Cabral who cleverly beat Daniel Ting and fired a powerful shot from close range a minute later. Cape Verde (officially the Republic of Cabo Verde) then continued to dominate the game and launched a wave of attacks through a series of powerful shots that forced the national defence led by captain Matthew Davies and goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed to work extra hard to save the situation. On resumption, Malaysia had a golden opportunity to equalise but Faisal's powerful shot in the 61st minute was cleared by goalkeeper Josimar Dias before Muhammad Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili arrived to pounce the ball on the goal line. Arif Aiman also missed an opportunity to score when his attempt in a one-on-one situation hit Dias' foot in the 69th minute. However, Harimau Malaya could finally heave a sigh of relief when Josue equalised in the 79th minute after he calmly finished off a pass from Quentin Cheng. The heroic Josue then had the best chance to score the national team's winning goal, but his close-range shot hit the alert Dias' foot in the 86th minute, thus ensuring the 1-1 result remained until the final whistle. Malaysia will once again face Cape Verde in a friendly match behind closed doors at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3. The two friendly matches against Cape Verde are in preparation for Malaysia to face Vietnam in the second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 10. Vietnam and Malaysia now share the top two spots in the group with three points respectively after having played a match each. — Bernama
