KUALA LUMPUR – Things seem to be moving in the right direction for Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba, who has been stepping up his game through senior appearances for Penang FC despite being only 19-years-old.
Haziq – the younger brother of national footballer Syamer Kutty Abba, who recently joined Penang FC on loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim – came into the picture after making his presence felt in the MFL Cup with Penang II last season.
Since then, the versatile midfielder has been regularly called up for national under-23 training camps and is expected to team up with his elder brother under head coach Akmal Rizal Rakhli to strengthen Penang’s season after their disappointing previous two campaigns.
Affectionately known as the “Black Panthers” by fans, the club had campaigns to forget in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons.
They finished in 12th and 10th, respectively, resulting in long-serving technical director Kamal Khalid and team manager Ong Eng Hua facing exits.
The club then brought in Akmal and newly appointed technical director Merzagua Abderrazak to lead the team to a mid-table finish for the new season.
Speaking to Scoop, Syamer expressed his excitement at the prospect of teaming up with his brother if there was an opportunity.
He cited Haziq’s hard work and rising profile in the local football scene as reasons for his anticipation.
“I have always told Haziq that football is not an easy process and the journey is long, requiring a lot of power, patience and perseverance.
“I have also told him that his target should be to be better than anyone else, in fact, even better than me.
“I’m not a top-level footballer yet, but I have always tried to give him my opinion of his game and try to guide him as much as I can.
“But I can see that Haziq is a very hard-working player, and I wish the best for him to make a mark in Malaysian football,” said Syamer when contacted.
Despite not getting regular minutes with JDT over the years, Syamer has impressed in his cameos with them and is always praised for his midfield displays for the national side.
The 26-year-old Syamer has won 14 accolades with JDT and made 74 appearances across all levels (under-17, under-20, under-23 and senior) of the national team.
Penang FC have won the league three times (1982, 1998 and 2001), the FA Cup once (2002), and the Malaysia Cup four times (1953, 1954, 1958 and 1974).
This season’s Super League campaign is expected to begin on May 10. – May 3, 2024