Cklamovski tight-lipped on new heritage players ahead of Cape Verde friendly

The Sun

02-06-2025

NATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski has declined to comment on speculation linking three new heritage players with the Harimau Malaya.
Cklamovski said some of the names mentioned in media reports were unfamiliar to him.
The Australian said his squad's focus is firmly on tomorrow's behind closed doors friendly against Cape Verde at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil after the two sides had played out a 1-1 draw in their Tier 1 international match at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras last Thursday.
'There's a lot of names out there in the media that I haven't even seen before. So there's a lot of speculation. I respect that but at the moment, you (media) know more than me.
'We prepare ourselves for a tough game tomorrow and that'll move us forward into the final phase (of training camp),' the 46-year-old coach told reporters when met during the national team's training session, here today.
Local media today reported that three new heritage players are on their way to Malaysia ahead of tomorrow night's match against Cape Verde.
The three players are America de Cali striker Rodrigo Holgado; Azerbaijani Sabah FC defender Jon Irazabal and Olympiacos forward Jefte Betancor who is currently on loan with Panserraikos.
Meanwhile, Cklamovski said his team will play at the highest possible intensity when they face world number 72 ranked Cape Verde.
'Because we want to get better physically and we want to play at a higher tempo but in respect, we're playing a powerful nation, a country that wants to go to a World Cup. They're topping their group (qualifier) and it's a massive challenge,' he said.
In the meantime, Cklamovski described the National Stadium as a 'special place' for both training and competition ahead of his first game at the Harimau Malaya's home ground.
The friendlies against Cape Verde are part of Malaysia's preparations for the crucial game 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.