KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will strive to ensure that Malaysian players representing clubs abroad receive their Covid-19 vaccine jabs before going to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the second round of the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers in June.
FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said discussions were underway and would need some time to be settled as government-to-government (G2G) co-ordination was required to help the players get the vaccination in the countries they are plying their trade in.
“Discussions are being conducted but they do not involve the football associations or teams… It requires co-ordination at the top, namely G2G because the management of vaccines is not done by the teams.
“The implementation of vaccine jabs in other countries is also different. I expect the status of discussions on the matter to be known in another one to two weeks,” he said when met at the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in Putrajaya on Monday.
Young football sensation Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, who plays for Belgian club KV Kortrijk; Junior Edstal, who represents Thailand’s Chonburi FC; and naturalised player Liridon Krasniqi, who features for Newcastle Jets in Australia, are among the national players currently plying their trades abroad.
The trio are among the overseas-based players being touted to be called up to join the national squad for their Group G second round 2022 World Cup/2023 Asia Cup Qualifiers, which will see Malaysia facing UAE on June 3, followed by Vietnam (June 11) and Thailand (June 15).
Stuart said that FAM had also received requests from other countries for their players in the Malaysia League (M-League) to be given the vaccine shots as well.
He, however, said priority would be given to the national players for now.
Forty of the 78 players and FAM officials received their first dose of the vaccine jabs yesterday, with the rest set to be vaccinated on Thursday at Dewan Seri Seroja in Putrajaya.
Meanwhile, Stuart said FAM had sent a charge sheet to the Kedah Darul Aman FC team following the red card shown to Fadzrul Danel Mohd Nizam, who was seen touching the referee during the Super League match against Terengganu FC at the Darul Aman Stadium, Alor Setar, last week.
Stuart, however, declined to comment on a similar incident involving Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) import Gonzalo Cabrera, who was only flashed the yellow card during their Super League match against Sri Pahang FC at the Darul Makmur Stadium, Kuantan last Friday.
He said he would have to wait for an internal discussion between the FAM Referees Unit and Disciplinary Committee before deciding on further action against the player. — Bernama
