If rumors are true, the Malaysian winger could be teaming up with fellow countryman Dominic Tan at the Boonyachinda Stadium.
Signed for The Elephant in 2017, Mohamadou Sumareh helped Pahang FA lift the Malaysia FA Cup 2018 and finished runners-up twice in the Malaysia Super League. However, according to club manager Datuk Mohammed Suffian Awang, the 25 years old was absent from the club’s training for the past months amidst talk of departure.
Despite links with Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT), Thai League’s Police Tero FC has emerged as the most likely destination for Sumareh. The transfer rumor went into overdrive last week after a teaser video was posted on Police Tero’s official Facebook page with the quote “Who is our new signing? hint ‘He once scored against the Thai national team'” – perhaps a nod at Sumareh’s winner against Thailand in the World Cup Qualifier in November 2019. But where can Sumareh fit into Rangsan Viwatchaichok’s starting XI?
The Silver Shields Dragons return to T1 in style, notching up 3 wins from 4 opening games, largely thanks to their pragmatic counter-attacking football. Rangsan used a 4-3-3 formation before experimenting with the 4-2-3-1 – both with fielding a pair of conservative fullbacks but also prioritizing attacks down both flanks with direct passes to the corner flag. Target man Arthit Boodjinda and winger Greg Houla have started all the games pre-lockdown but Rangsan still seems unsure about his 3rd attacker and mostly opted to base his selection on who the opposition is.
Sumareh shines in Tan Cheng Hoe’s Malaysia at also prioritizes wide attacks so Rangsan’s football should, in theory, fit Sumareh’s profile and vice versa. Tero could really use Sumareh’s pace when hitting the opponent on the break, particularly on the right-wing.
Arthit Boodjinda and club captain Narong Jansawek could be the key to Sumareh’s success. The former is a hardworking striker with great hold-up play and the latter an experienced central midfielder. The record shows that Sumareh is a goalscorer and most of his goals for Malaysia seem to come from inside the opposition penalty – clear evidence of Sumareh’s willingness to get into a dangerous position. With each player’s strength in mind, we can imagine Arthit’s lay-off ability as a beneficial trait for Sumareh while Narong’s long pass behind the defensive line is an easy way to utilize Sumareh’s explosiveness and something Rangsan will definitely look into.
Defender Dominic Tan is entering his second season in red and will surely be in contact with his international teammate. Sumareh joining would be a great boost for Tero and the interest of the Thai League and we can’t wait to see this deal happening.
