FAISAL HALIM HAS A STORY TO TELL, SAYS CKLAMOVSKI

ISKANDAR PUTERI, March 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Peter Cklamovski has heaped praise on winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, describing him as an exciting player who can trouble opponents with his attacking intensity.

Cklamovski said Faisal’s return to the national team is well deserved.

“It’s exciting to watch him in the national team setup. He’s a fantastic winger, an exciting player who has the ability to really hurt teams when he goes forward. He plays with intensity and intent in everything he does. I’m sure this is a good moment for him to come back to the national team.

“He deserves it and I feel like he has a story to tell. That will continue to develop as he progresses on his journey,” he told a press conference today ahead of tomorrow night’s Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers Group F opener between Malaysia and Nepal at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium here.

The 46-year-old Australian coach also commended Faisal’s adaptation to the squad, noting that all players have responded well to the eight-day training camp.

“I think he has adapted really well and so have all the other players. I’m really pleased with the physical outcomes we’ve seen from them. We’ve conducted tests to assess where we stand as a team and individually for each player.

“What’s important is how we can continue to improve every player. We’ve had eight days in camp, but the focus extends beyond this period. Even for those not in the squad at the moment, we have an out-of-camp strategy to elevate every player’s level physically,” he added.

On May 5 last year, Faisal was splashed with acid by an unidentified individual at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, suffering fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body. He was treated in the Intensive Care Unit for about 10 days.

This is the first time he has been called up to the national team’s central training camp since the acid attack.

The 27-year-old Faisal hogged the limelight again after netting a hat-trick in Selangor FC’s 7-0 win over Kelantan Darul Naim FC in a Super League match on March 8.

Ranked 132nd by FIFA, Malaysia hold a better position than Nepal, who sit at 175th.

Apart from Nepal, Malaysia will also play Vietnam and Laos in Group F, with only the group winner securing a spot in the final round, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia.

-- BERNAMA