SEPANG, Oct 7 — Harimau Malaya midfielder Mohammad Syamer Kutty Abba believes that the inclusion of young players in the national squad will bring a new dynamic to the team in their upcoming friendly match against New Zealand on Oct 14.

He said that the match at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland will serve as an opportunity to assess the chemistry of the new squad combination, particularly in preparation for the ASEAN Championship 2024 this December.

"This is a positive development, having both young and experienced players. It brings a new dynamic to the team, adding young talent to strengthen it. The goal is to win, and blending the team is crucial for this December.

"It’s a new experience to see how far we can go and how to improve any weaknesses, so we can be better in the future,” he told reporters before departing for New Zealand at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday.

Harimau Malaya head coach Pau Marti Vicente has called up three new under-23 (U-23) players from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) II and Selangor FC for the friendly match against New Zealand.

They are Selangor goalkeeper Azim Al Amin Kamaruddin and two players from the national U-19 squad who have just returned from the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers 2025 in Tajikistan, namely, goalkeeper Haziq Aiman Mohd Esa (JDT II) and Haykal Danish Mohd Haizon (Selangor U-23).

The last time Harimau Malaya faced New Zealand was in 2006 under head coach Norizan Bakar, where Malaysia lost 1-0 in Christchurch on Feb 19 and 2-1 in Auckland four days later in friendly matches.

Meanwhile, Syamer noted that the absence of team captain Dion Cools against New Zealand will open up opportunities for other players to prove their leadership capabilities.

"(Cools’ absence) is not a problem because we have many players who can fill his role, and it gives others a chance to step up and add something to the team,” he said.

Earlier, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced that Cools will not be joining Harimau Malaya for the New Zealand match due to family commitments. — Bernama