National U-23 head coach Brad Maloney with his assistant Khang Hung Meng during training at PKNS Sports Complex in Petaling Jaya, February 2, 2022. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — Nine more footballers reported in at the national Under 23 (U-23) football centralised training camp for the upcoming South East Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next month.
According to a post on the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) Facebook page tonight, the seventh day of the training session at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya tonight witnessed 14 players training under head coach Brad Maloney.
The nine new players called up are Firdaus Irman Fadhil, V Ruventhiran, A Shivan Pillay, Aiman Afif Afizul, Ahmad Aysar Hadi Shapri, Daryl Sham, Umar Hakeem Suhar Rezwan, Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili and Nik Akif Syahiran Nik Mat.
They join the five players already at the camp, Shafi Azswad Sapari, Haqimi Azim Rosli, Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, Fahmi Daniel Zaaim and Faiz Amer Runnizar who reported in on April 19.
Besides preparing for Hanoi, the players are also gearing up for the U-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan scheduled to take place from June 1 to 19.
The remaining players on the list of 31 players selected by Maloney will report in in stages after they are released by their respective clubs.
Drawn into Group B for the biennial games, Malaysia is scheduled to meet Thailand on May 7, Laos (May 11), Singapore (May 14) and Cambodia (May 16) at Thien Truong Stadium, Nam Dinh in an effort to book one of two slots to the semifinals.
In the 2019 edition in the Philippines, the national team under the tutelage of Datuk Ong Kim Swee failed to get pass the group stage after winning the silver medal in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Malaysia last won the gold medal in the 2011 edition in Indonesia, coached by Kim Swee. — Bernama