KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has revealed the final list of 26 players in the Harimau Malaya squad under the guidance of coach Kim Pan Gon who are set to compete in the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, from Jan 12 to Feb 10.
All 26 players were called up for centralised training at Wisma FAM since Dec 26, witnessing Pan Gon making no changes ahead of the prestigious tournament.
Of the 26 players selected, three are goalkeepers, defenders (nine), midfielders (six), and eight forwards, including the newest naturalised player, Romel Morales.
Malaysia, ranked 130th in the world, are drawn in Group E alongside Jordan (87), Bahrain (86), and two-time champions South Korea, ranked 23rd.
Malaysia, who ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, will begin the group stage against Jordan at Al Janoub Stadium on Jan 15, face Bahrain at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Jan 20, and conclude against South Korea at Al Janoub Stadium on Jan 25.
Only the champions and runners-up from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams will qualify for the Round of 16.
This marks Malaysia’s fourth appearance in the Asian Cup after qualifying on merit in 1976 in Iran, 1980 in Kuwait, and as co-hosts in 2007.
As a warm-up, Pan Gon’s team, who arrived in Doha on Jan 1, are scheduled to face Syria in an international friendly match on Jan 8.
Following is the final list of the 26 players:
Goalkeepers: Muhammad Azri Ab Ghani, 25; Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, 28; Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, 22
Defenders: Matthew Davies, 29; Shahrul Mohd Saad, 21; Daniel Ting, 32; Muhammad Syahmi Safari, 26; Dominic Tan, 27; Junior Eldstal, 33; Dion Cools, 28; La’vere Lawrence Corbin-ong, 33; Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee, 31
Midfielders: Stuart John Wilkin, 26; Endrick Dos Santos, 29; Mohamed Syamer Kutty Abba, 27; Brendan Gan, 36; Mohd Afiq Fazail, 30; Natxo Insa, 38
Strikers: Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, 26; Darren Lok, 34 ; Muhammad Safawi Rasid, 27; Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, 22; Mohamadou Sumareh, 30; Paulo Josue, 35; Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid 25; Romel Morales, 27. – BERNAMA
