Two big tasks await B-17 coach Osmera for Harimau Muda

PETALING JAYA, June  9 (Bernama) -- Two big tasks await new head coach Osmera Omaro of the new national Under-17 (U-17) squad -- for the AFF U-16 Championship in Bogor, Indonesia on July 31- Aug 14 and AFC U-17 Championship in Manama, Bahrain on Oct 1-9.

National U-17 team manager, Christopher Raj said the two tournaments would also be a yardstick for Osmera to prepare the national youth squad for other competitive tournaments.

"Through the AFF U-16 Championship, the target set for them is to make it past the semi-finals while they (the squad) also need to qualify for the final round of the AFC U-17 Championship qualifiers later.

"We must qualify for the AFF semi-finals because this is not a study tour for exposure. We are in competition mode, thus the target is set as such," he said at the press conference announcing the coaching staff of the Harimau Muda (U-17) squad at Wisma FAM, here, today.

Also announced at the press conference were U-17 assistant coaches Amirizdwan Taj Tajudin, Efendi Abd Malek and V. Kavichelvan.

Meanwhile, Christopher said the target was to qualify for the final round of the AFC qualifiers and thus, qualify for the U-17 World Cup.

"To make it easier, we have to finish the competition in top spot to qualify or be in second place, with the national squad then facing Indonesia, Palestine, Guam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Group B," he said.

Meanwhile, Osmera said the national U-17 team would start their first centralised training soon with a total of 37 players at the Mokhtar Dahari Football Academy (AMD).

"FAM will then select 23 players for the second centralised training on July 20 before leaving for Indonesia for the AFF Championship," he said.

-- BERNAMA