"It’s a huge weight off their shoulders." That’s how Harimau Malaya team manager Mohd Yusoff Mahadi described the national football players’ reaction to being guaranteed Covid-19 vaccine jabs as they gear up for three crucial 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup second round qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June.

Yusoff (above) said the latest development was a relief for head coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s men ahead of their Group G matches against the UAE (June 3), Vietnam (June 11), and Thailand (June 15).

In fact, he said the...