KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya have vowed to send national caretaker coach Pau Marti Vicente off in style at the Asean Cup, which begins on Sunday.
It will be the Spaniard's final assignment with the national team before parting ways with the FA of Malaysia (FAM).
Co-captains Dominic Tan and Syamer Kutty Abba were surprised at FAM's decision to part ways with Vicente and his coaching staff after the competition.
"It's not easy to hear this as a player. We've worked with Vicente for a long time, and he's been a fantastic coach," said Dominic at KLIA, Sepang, before the team's departure for Phnom Penh yesterday.
"But people come and go, and we appreciate everything he has done for the national team. We hope to give him a fitting farewell."
Meanwhile, Syamer said: "Vicente has had a significant influence on the national team. We want to give him a parting gift during the tournament.
"This is the perfect stage to honour his contributions," he said.
On Wednesday, Vicente confirmed in an FAM statement that the Asean Cup would be his final assignment as caretaker coach of Harimau Malaya.
Malaysia, who open their Group A campaign against Cambodia in Phnom Penh on Sunday, have named a mixed squad for the competition due to some regular players being tied up with club commitments.
Dominic, one of three co-captains for the tournament alongside Syamer and Syafiq Ahmad, believes the newcomers will raise their game during the tournament.
"I'm honoured to be given the co-captaincy. It's a role I take with pride, and I'll do my best to lead the team," said the defender.
"We have many new faces, and everyone deserves their place here. International matches are always tough, but we'll focus on ourselves and aim for positive results."
Syamer, also proud of his captaincy role, also touched on the challenges of the tournament's home-and-away format.
"The tight schedule and recovery between matches will be the real test. There won't be much time for training sessions, so we need to make every game count," said the 27-year-old midfielder.