KUALA LUMPUR –The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today 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 January 12 to February 10.
All 26 players were called up for centralised training at Wisma FAM on December 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, after a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, will begin the group stage against Jordan at Al Janoub Stadium on January 15, face Bahrain at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on January 20, and conclude against South Korea at Al Janoub Stadium on January 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 January 1, are scheduled to face Syria in an international friendly match on January 8.
Following is the final list of the 26 players in the Harimau Malaya squad for the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha:
(Name, age, position)
Muhammad Azri Ab Ghani, 25, goalkeeper
Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, 28, goalkeeper
Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, 22, goalkeeper
Matthew Davies, 29, defender
Shahrul Mohd Saad, 21, defender
Daniel Ting, 32, defender
Muhammad Syahmi Safari, 26, defender
Dominic Tan, 27, defender
Junior Eldstal, 33, defender
Dion Cools, 28, defender
La’vere Lawrence Corbin-ong, 33, defender
Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee, 31, defender
Stuart John Wilkin, 26, midfielder
Endrick Dos Santos, 29, midfielder
Mohamed Syamer Kutty Abba, 27, midfielder
Brendan Gan, 36, midfielder
Mohd Afiq Fazail, 30, midfielder
Natxo Insa, 38, midfielder
Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, 26, striker
Darren Lok, 34, striker
Muhammad Safawi Rasid, 27, striker
Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, 22, striker
Mohamadou Sumareh, 30, striker
Paulo Josue, 35, striker
Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid, 25, striker
Romel Morales, 27, striker. – January 3, 2024