Football

Syahmi can't have right-back position right away

AT Asean level, Syahmi Safari won the "first 11 player" recognition twice.

But now at local level, he faces tough competition to be a first team player, having to vie with two others.

Selangor's Syahmi, who won the Asean Football Federation's Best XI twice (2018-2019), admits he will have to battle it out with Matthew Davies and Rizal Ghazali for the right-back position in the national team preparing for the pre-World Cup in June.

Known as an utility player, the 23-year-old Syahmi usually plays as as a right-back and occasionally as a right-wing.

However, after the national team's 16 inactive months, Syahmi said he can't take his place for granted anymore.

He will have to work hard to impress coach Tan Cheng Hoe but eyeing the right-back position is JDT's Davies and Kedah's Ghazali.

Feeling that the best man should get the job,

Syahmi said: "I think it's healthy rivalry because this will push us to train very hard.

"We will give our best, and this will only make the team become better.

"I play right-back but I don't mind whatever position the coach puts me in.

"I think after day five, team progress has been good because day by day, we see the need to adapt quickly to the tactics as we don't have much time (the national team have only nine days of training)."

Malaysia's remaining three World Cup qualifiers are against the United Arab Emirates (June 3), Vietnam (June 11) and Thailand (June 15) in Dubai.

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