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New Straits Times
14-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Sergio Aguero join DPMM
KUALA LUMPUR: Brunei's DPMM FC have confirmed the signing of naturalised Malaysia winger Sergio Aguero for the 2025-2026 M-League. The Argentina-born Aguero, 31, obtained Malaysian citizenship in 2022 and made his debut for Harimau Malaya at the AFF Cup later that year. The DPMM foreign roster already includes Indonesian Ramadhan Sananta, Filipino Amani Aguinaldo and Macedonian goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski. DPMM team manager Ali Momin is currently in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to scout for additional foreign players with the help of a Brazilian agent. Earlier, Thai club Kanchanaburi Power showed Aguero with a Malaysian flag emoji in their Facebook post. It has since been deleted.
The Star
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Cklamovski fires up team to work harder after beating Vietnam for first time in 11 years
Going all out: Malaysia's Rodrigo Holgado heading the ball during their match against Vietnam at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. — Bernama PETALING JAYA: Results don't come without action, and national football team head coach Peter Cklamovski knows work is never done if they are to keep Malaysia's Asian Cup dreams alive. Harimau Malaya delivered a powerful performance against Vietnam on home turf in their 2027 Asian Cup third round qualifiers, thrashing their opponents 4-0 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday. Cklamovski hailed his players' performance in front of 61,512 fans, as Malaysia got past their first tough fixture in the group against Vietnam to keep their Asian Cup dreams burning strong. 'Dream for it, because we've got that dream, without a doubt. We see the commitment the players have for that dream. 'We don't just think about it, but we have to do it by action, every day. And the performance the players put in is a reflection of what I see every day. 'I see a committed group of players hungry to build a team mentality that will make Malaysians proud. I'm very proud of the players,' he said. Cklamovski was quick to field fresh legs in the squad, giving playing minutes to newly arrived heritage players Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Facundo Garces, Jon Irazabal, and Imanol Machuca. And they were quick to deliver. Figueiredo was first to break the deadlock in the 49th minute, followed by Holgado in the 58th. Seasoned heritage players La'vere Corbin-Ong and Dion Cools sealed the win in the 66th and 88th minutes, respectively. Malaysia also ended their 11-year winless streak against Vietnam as their last victory over the Golden Star Warriors was at the 2014 AFF Cup, when Harimau Malaya won 5-4 in the semi-final. Cklamovski was thrilled with his team, as they now sit top of Group F, three points clear of Vietnam in second, while Laos are in third with one win and Nepal remain without a point. 'I thought the first half was good, we probably could have gotten in front but it was important that we stayed focused in the second half. 'We stayed disciplined and worked hard as a team. That's important because we don't just rely on one player but 11, regardless of who is out there,' he said. Although the dream to qualify for Saudi Arabia stays alive, Cklamovski reminded the team that the win against Vietnam is just a small step in their long journey. 'We can dream, but we have to recover, analyse the game, and then get on to the next one. 'We just got three points from the game, that's all. We've got more work to do and more steps to take,' he said. Harimau Malaya will play their next qualifier match against Laos on Oct 9.
New Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia get green light from FIFA to use 5 new heritage players
KUALA LUMPUR: After sceptical rival fans across Southeast Asian urged FIFA to investigate Malaysia for its recruitment of "heritage players", the FA of Malaysia (FAM) announced today that the world body has cleared five foreign-born players to wear Malaysia shirts. The five naturalised heritage players are Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado. This means the five footballers will be able to take the field against Vietnam in a crucial Asian Cup Group F qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight (9pm kickoff). FAM, in a social media post today, stated that Garces, Machuca, Irazabal, Figueiredo and Holgado have received Fifa approval, Malaysia aim to break their 11-year winless run against Vietnam after losing seven times and drawn once in their last eight meetings. Malaysia's last win over Vietnam was at the 2014 AFF Cup.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Only a win will Do for veteran centreback Duy Manh
PETALING JAYA: Centreback and senior figure Do Duy Manh is ready to sizzle again at Malaysia's iconic Bukit Jalil Stadium. The 28-year-old will be one of Vietnam's solid star defenders when they face off with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier today. Duy Manh was at the same venue two weeks ago when the Asean All-Stars took on Manchester United in the Maybank Challenge Cup, which they eventually won. 'This is the most important game in this qualifying campaign,' said Duy Manh. 'It's an away game, so it will be difficult, but we have prepared well. We trust coach Kim (Sang-sik) and we'll follow his instructions.' Duy Manh has also played here during the 2018 AFF Cup final and knows what to expect from the team and fans. 'It's a big stadium, always full, and we know how the atmosphere will be. This is Malaysia's favourite ground. ''But for 90 minutes, we will remain focused and overcome the pressure.' With everything on the line, Vietnam are approaching the battle with caution, clarity and quiet confidence.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Only a good result will Do for Duy Manh
Do Duy Manh. - Duy Manh's Facebook PETALING JAYA: Centreback and senior figure Do Duy Manh is ready to sizzle again at Malaysia's iconic Bukit Jalil Stadium. The 28-year-old will be one of Vietnam's solid star defenders when they face off with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier today. Duy Manh was at the same venue two weeks ago when the Asean All-Stars took on Manchester United in the Maybank Challenge Cup, which they eventually won. "This is the most important game in this qualifying campaign," said Duy Manh. "It's an away game, so it will be difficult, but we have prepared well. We trust coach Kim (Sang-sik) and we'll follow his instructions." Duy Manh has also played here during the 2018 AFF Cup final and knows what to expect from the team and fans. "It's a big stadium, always full, and we know how the atmosphere will be. This is Malaysia's favourite ground. But for 90 minutes, we will remain focused and overcome the pressure." With everything on the line, Vietnam are approaching the battle with caution, clarity and quiet confidence.
