Sarawak’s Ronny Harun controls the ball during the Super League match against ATM at the Sarawak Stadium in this April 16 file photo. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Sarawak’s Super League players Junior Eldstal and Ronny Harun have been called up as Malaysia prepares for an international friendly match against the Philippines.
The upcoming match on this Sunday (April 27) follows an earlier friendly between the two national sides on March 1 held in Kuala Lumpur. That match ended in a scoreless draw.
Speaking to Bernama yesterday, interim national head coach Ong Kim Swee is hoping for a win as Malaysia seeks to improve its FIFA World rankings.
Malaysia is currently ranked 141.
A win in Sunday’s game, rated as a FIFA Class A match, at Cebu City Sports Complex can boost the team’s FIFA ranking.
Mid-fielder Junior was with the national team at the match in March but did not play.
He had also made three appearances for the national XI last year at the Merdeka tournament.
But these matches are not classified as FIFA Class A internationals.
Playing in Cebu would count as his first senior team appearance for Malaysia.
Ronny, however, had made his senior team debut for the national side in 2007.
The reliable defender has been a consistent performer in Sarawak’s starting line-up in the past two years.
Meanwhile, Sarawak coach Robert Alberts told The Borneo Post yesterday that both players are already in Kuala Lumpur to join their national team mates for training.
“We received a letter from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) just before the match against Kelantan last week. In my opinion, their call up is good for the team as a national team call-up can definitely boost a player’s confidence and morale,” he said.
Both Junior and Ronney signed to play for Sarawak in 2013.