U-23 Asian Cup Qualifying: FAM calls 27 players for centralised training

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 -- Twenty seven players have been called by national under-20 (U-20) football squad head coach, Brad Maloney to join phase one quarantine-based centralised training for nine days in Petaling Jaya, from Aug 30 to Sept 7.

According to a Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) statement on its official website, this is a preliminary preparation for Group J competition of the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup Qualification from Oct 27 to 31 against Laos, Mongolia and Thailand in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Among the players called from Selangor FC II were Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, Muhammad Firdaus Irman Mohd Fadhil, Muhammad Azrin Afiq Rusmini, Muhammad Izzul Adham Suhaimi, Muhammad Faiz Amer Runnizar, Muhammad Fahmi Daniel Mohd Zaaim, Muhammad Khairi Suffian Khaineyusri, Saravanan Thirumurugan, Saiful Iskandar Adha Saiful Azlan and Muhammad Iqmal Ramlan.

Also called were players of Terengganu FC II namely Syed Muhammad Nasrulhaq Syed Bidin, Muhammad Hairiey Hakim Mamat, Muhammad Nur Azfar Fikri Azhar, Muhammad Syafik Ismail and Muhammad Muslihuddin ‘Atiq Mat Zaid.

Maloney also called Muhammad Firdaus Ramli, Ahmad Aysar Hadi Mohd Shapri, Muhamad Umar Hakeem Suhar Rezwan, Muhammad Firdaus Muhamad Kaironnisam Sahabudin and Muhammad Shafi Azswad Sapari of JDT II.

“Other names involved are Mohamad Nabil Asyraf Ramli, Muhammad Amirul Akmal Safarinizam, Azhad Harraz Arman, Muhammad Hazwan Hassan from FAM-MSN Project Squad apart from Mohd Aiman Afif Md Afizul of Kedah Darul Aman FC.

“Also called are Adam Roshan Kris Azman who plays for Brook House FC and Mohamed Amir Mohamed Faruk who plays for Chipstead FC, both based in England,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, FAM said the other players in action in the 2021 Super League would be called to join phase two centralised training from Sept 19, one day after the end of the league competition with several more players from abroad such as Luqman Hakim Shamsudin and Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal.

The squad under Maloney will start competition in Ulaanbaatar against Laos on Oct 27 followed by hosts, Mongolia on Oct 29 and finally against Thailand on Oct 31 to grab a slot in the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup finals in Uzbekistan in June 2022.

-- BERNAMA