Manzoor Azwira guiding his players during the game against Selangor. - Photo by Penang FC
PETALING JAYA: Penang coach Manzoor Azwira won’t be in town for the next three weeks – but he will still be keeping a close eye on his Panthers.
The 46-year-old, who is close to getting his AFC professional coaching licence, will be going to Croatia and Hungary to attend a course on football analytics and tactics.
While he’s in Europe, Manzoor will be updated by his assistant coaches via regular reports on the progress of his players.
“I’ll be in Europe for three weeks. I will communicate with the other coaches to ensure the players stick to the training programmes,” he said.
“I may even miss the first league game as I still have a few more things to complete for my diploma.’’
The Panthers, however, made sure Manzoor had something to cheer about before he leaves today when they impressed in a 2-1 win over Selangor in a friendly at the City Stadium on Saturday.
Soony Saad was the toast for Penang, scoring twice in the 74th and 88th minutes, while Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi opened the scoring for the Red Giants in the 24th minute.
Manzoor praised his charges for their fighting spirit in the come-from-behind win.
“Their never-say-die spirit made the difference as we bounced back to beat a side filled with quality,’’ he said.
