KUALA LUMPUR – Penang City FC head coach Akmal Rizal has made it clear that Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba and Nor Shahmi Irfan Talaha are not ready to be part of his senior team in this season’s Super League campaign.
Haziq, the younger brother of national footballer Syamer Kutty Abba, who recently joined Penang FC on loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim, has made his presence felt in the MFL Cup with the Penang under-23 team last season.
Since then, the versatile midfielder has been regularly called up for national under-23 training camps.
Nor Shahmi, who is the younger brother of former national footballer Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, aka Mat-Yo, is also part of the Penang under-23 team after signing his professional contract in March this year.
For the record, Akmal has brought a total of eight players from his under-23 squad into his starting eleven in his opening three games in charge of this season’s Super League.
Speaking to Scoop, Akmal said that both Haziq and Nor Shahmi have a lot to prove in their gameplay if they hope to break into the senior team in the days to come.
“There’s no doubt that they have been progressing over the past few months, but they still have more to improve in order to become regulars on the senior team.
“They need to continue evolving in all the under-23 tournaments that they compete in and prove to me why they deserve a place on the senior team.
“The squad that we have now is really competitive, and it’s not easy for everyone to get in. Though I give more importance to the under-23 players in my senior team, I am very particular about the players that I choose.
“I will continue to monitor their progress over the next few months, and I hope to see them improve within the time frame that I have set for them. The coaching team and I will not hesitate to promote them to the senior team if they improve,” said Akmal when contacted.
The Black Panthers currently rank seventh in the Super League table with three points (three draws) from three games.
Their draws came against Sabah FC (0-0), Terengganu FC (0-0), and Polis Diraja Malaysia FC (1-1). – June 6, 2024