KUALA LUMPUR, Harimau Malaya midfielder, Mohammad Syamer Kutty Abba expressed his joy at finally winning a trophy with the national team after previous unsuccessful attempts. Mohammad Syamer also hoped that the success in the 43rd edition the Merdeka Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, will serve as motivation for him to continue excelling in his career. "This trophy means a lot to me because I lost twice in the finals with the national team, namely in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games and AFF Cup 2018. "This is one of the best boosts for me and my career, motivating me to strive to become a better player in the future," said the 26-year-old when met after the final of the 2024 Merdeka Cup tournament at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here yesterday. Malaysia ended a 11-year wait for the Harimau Malaya to win the tournament again after securing a 1-0 victory over Lebanon, courtesy of a goal from naturalised player Romel Morales. Meanwhile, when asked about the approach used by Harimau Malaya head coach Pau Marti Vicente, Mohammad Syamer acknowledged that it was slightly different compared to the previous coach, Kim Pan Gon. According to the Penang FC player, he was pleased that the players had no issues adapting to the new tactics. "We can see many positive aspects that we can take from this match, and of course, there are also negatives that we can improve. So, this is the best step for us to improve for our future after this," he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency