Negeri Sembilan's final pre-season foreign signing revealed

BY        ZULHILMI ZAINAL       Follow on Twitter

Super League newcomers Negeri Sembilan have finalised their 2018 squad, with Latvian centre back Renārs Rode revealed as the final foreign signing before the season kicks off in February.

In a team launching event held in Seremban on Wednesday, the Deers announced their squad for the 2018 season, with club president Dato' Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan in attendance, as well as Negeri Sembilan senior team and youth team players.

In his speech during the launching, Mohammad only revealed that the final foreign signing is a Latvian centre-back who has made appearances for the Latvia national team, and that the defender was absent from the event as he would only be arriving in Malaysia on the following day. In the squad list provided to the media, the slot for the final foreign player's name was curiously empty.

However, a team official revealed the name of Rode after the event. Rode is 28-year old, and has played mainly for Latvian clubs, as well as a stint with South Africa's Cape Town City in 2016.

The four imports already signed by the Deer are Singapore defender Madhu Mohana, Brazilian midfielder Flavio Beck and Argentinian forward Nicolás Vélez, as well as former South Korea midfielder Kim Do-heon who participated in the 2006 World Cup.

Negeri signed a number of local players too; including former Selangor and Kelantan defender Rizal Fahmi Rosid, Felda United's Fakrul Aiman Sidid and Syahid Zaidon, PKNS FC's Fauzan Dzulkifli, as well as Kelantan youth goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Mohamed. Malaysia U23 forward Thanabalan Nadarajah meanwhile returned from his season-long loan at Felcra FC.