2019-06-12
Dua pemain skuad B-18 kebangsaan, Ali Imran Bin Sukari dan Harith Haiqal Bin Adam Afkar berlepas ke Tokyo, Jepun dari Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) Sepang, hari ini bagi menyertai program ASIAN ELEVEN yang akan berlangsung dari 13 hingga 23 Jun 2019 di Fukushima.
Kemuncak program berkenaan bakal menyaksikan pasukan ASIAN ELEVEN akan bertemu Pilihan Tohoku B-18 pada perlawanan persahabatan antarabangsa bagi merebut JapaFunCup di Stadium J-Village, Fukushima pada 22 Jun 2019.
Pasukan ASIAN ELEVEN kendalian Takuma Koga akan dibarisi seramai 21 pemain dari 11 negara Asia Tenggara yang mana setiap negara diwakili oleh dua pemain kecuali Vietnam hanya seorang pemain. Senarai penuh nama pemain pasukan ASIAN ELEVEN di https://asian-eleven.jfac.jp/en/member/
Ali Imran dan Harith Haiqal yang kedua-duanya berusia 17 tahun merupakan pemain dari Program Pembangunan Bolasepak Negara (NFDP) yang berpusat di Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD) di Gambang, Pahang.
“Sudah tentu ini peluang terbaik untuk kami berdua menunjukkan kebolehan dan membuktikan bahawa orang Malaysia pun boleh bermain bola sepak di tahap yang tinggi. Tempoh latihan seminggu di Jepun nanti akan saya gunakan untuk membentuk gandingan terbaik bersama rakan-rakan baharu,” kata Ali Imran yang beraksi di posisi pertahanan.
Pemain tengah, Harith Haiqal pula menambah: “Walaupun akan bersaing merebut tempat dengan pemain berusia 18 tahun dari negara Asia Tenggara lain, saya rasa tiada masalah bagi kami berdua kerana beza usia hanya setahun saja. Di sana nanti, saya akan cuba belajar sebanyak mana ilmu mengenai bola sepak dan bertekad untuk memberikan persembahan yang terbaik.”
Timbalan Presiden Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM), Dato’ Sri Subahan Bin Kamal turut hadir di KLIA bagi memberikan kata-kata semangat dan motivasi serta mengucapkan selamat jalan kepada Ali Imran dan Harith Haiqal.
“Saya doakan Ali Imran dan Harith Haiqal dapat melakukan yang terbaik di sana nanti. Terima kasih kepada Japan Foundation Asia Center (JFAC) di atas inisiatif ini. Sekurang-kurangnya ia memberi peluang kepada pemain-pemain muda dari Asia Tenggara mempamerkan bakat dan kemampuan mereka berdepan pasukan dari Jepun. Kami di FAM dan NFDP mengalu-alukan program seumpama ini diteruskan pada masa akan datang,” kata Dato’ Sri Subahan yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Teknikal NFDP.
Ali Imran dan Harith Haiqal dijadual kembali ke tanah air pada 24 Jun 2019.
Maklumat lanjut mengenai JapaFun Cup boleh didapati di https://asian-eleven.jfac.jp/en/
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ALI IMRAN, HARITH HAIQAL DEPART FOR JAPAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ASIAN ELEVEN
2019-06-12
Two players from the national U-18 squad, Ali Imran Bin Sukari and Harith Haiqal Bin Adam Afkar departed for Tokyo, Japan from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today to participate in the ASIAN ELEVEN program, scheduled to take place from 13th to 23rd June 2019 in Fukushima.
The highlight of the said program will showcase an international friendly match between ASIAN ELEVEN and U-18 Tohoku Selection whereby the winner will go on to lift the JapaFunCup at the J-Village Stadium, Fukushima on 22nd June 2019.
The ASIAN ELEVEN team under the tutelage of Takuma Koga comprises of 21 players from 11 Southeast Asian countries with each country represented by two players, except for Vietnam with only one representative. The full players list of the ASIAN ELEVEN team at https://asian-eleven.jfac.jp/en/member/
Ali Imran and Harith Haiqal, both 17 years of age, are players from the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) based at the Mokthar Dahari Academy (AMD) in Gambang, Pahang.
“Surely, this is a great chance for the both of us to show our abilities and to prove that Malaysians can play at the highest level. I will use the week-long training in Japan to build good relationships with my new friends,” said Ali Imran who plays in defence.
Midfielder, Harith Haiqal added: “Although there will be competitions for starting berths among the other 18 year-old players from the various Southeast Asian countries, I think it should not be a problem for the both of us as the difference in age is only by a year. There, I will try to learn and gain as much football knowledge as I can and I plan to do my very best on the pitch.”
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Deputy President, Dato’ Sri Subahan Bin Kamal was also present at KLIA to send Ali Imran and Haritu Haiqal off, while also imparting some words of encouragement on the duo.
“I pray that Ali Imran and Harith Haiqal can do their very best there in Japan. I would like to extend my gratitude towards the Japan Foundation Asia Center (JFAC) for this initiative. At least it gives the young players from Southeast Asia a chance to show their abilities and their talents when facing Japanese oppositions. We at FAM and NFDP welcomes this program for the many years to come,” said Dato’ Sri Subahan who is also the Chairman of the NFDP Technical Committee.
Ali Imran and Harith Haiqal will return home on the 24th June 2019.
For more information on the JapaFunCup, do visit https://asian-eleven.jfac.jp/en/
