KUALA LUMPUR – Negeri Sembilan FC assistant head coach K. Nanthakumar believes his team require additional preseason matches to guarantee they reach peak performance in the coming Super League season.
The former national footballer, who played for the Harimau Malaya between 2002 and 2010, has been in charge of the team’s training and preseason matches since the departure of former head coach K. Devan last year.
The 63-year-old Devan, who joined Negeri Sembilan in December 2020, departed on mutual terms after the club’s management decided not to extend his contract for the coming season.
Negeri Sembilan, affectionately known as “UltraJang” among fans, have yet to find a replacement for the vacant head-coach position.
Speaking to Scoop, Nanthakumar said his players were not distracted by off-the-pitch issues and were fully committed to training for the new season.
“The players have been performing well in training and are very committed to giving their 100% in the new season. Though I’m temporarily in charge of training and programmes, it’s my responsibility now to ensure that the players are in good form for the new season.
“We have already started playing a few preseason matches, and I expect that there will be more improvement shown by the players in the following matches.
“But the preseason matches are not enough; we need more to get the best out of them. We are currently in discussions to play against more clubs in friendly matches before the new season begins.
“We have so many aspects to improve in our game, especially in terms of our attack and defence. But overall, I have been impressed with the progress shown by the players so far,” said Nanthakumar when contacted.
Negeri Sembilan played a preseason friendly against Putrajaya FC on Wednesday, which saw them lose 0-1 at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang.
Negeri Sembilan, who play in the Super League, finished their 2023 season in ninth position with 27 points.
They were Super League winners in 2006, and they won the Premier League in 2021.
They have also lifted the FA Cup three times, in 1948, 2009 and 2011. – March 29, 2024