PLAYER FITNESS MAIN FOCUS AS NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING CAMP KICKS OFF IN JOHOR BAHRU

JOHOR BAHRU, May 19 (Bernama) -- Player fitness will be the main focus during the national football team’s centralised training camp in preparation for Malaysia’s second Group F match in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam this June.

National head coach Peter Cklamovski said the players’ fitness levels needed to be improved, especially after a four-week break following the conclusion of the Malaysia League season.

“Phase one is important for us as we have players returning from four weeks off during their off-season. They’ve been following their individual training programmes well outside of camp, so I’m excited to get on the pitch with them,” he said at a press conference here today.

The 46-year-old Australian tactician added that his team will also be drawing up individual training plans for each player. 

“We have individual development and individualised programmes. That’s why myself and all my staff are connected with every player.

“We’re going to build an individual programme for each of them to help them develop and become the best players they can be,” he said.

Cklamovski added that the camp, which started today in Johor Bahru, would be conducted in three distinct phases.

He recently said each phase would be tailored with specific objectives, a structure he believed is not only unique but also necessary, given the players’ current condition and the domestic football calendar.

Based on the list of players called up, Cklamovski has retained 25 players from the squad that faced Nepal in their opening Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers last March.

Several new faces have also been included, including players from the national Under-23 (U-23) squad.

-- BERNAMA