Fandi’s boys head to Japan ahead of Asian qualifiers
National Under-22 coach Fandi Ahmad yesterday announced his 24-man squad for a training camp in Japan ahead of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Championship qualifiers later this month.
The qualifiers - which see the Young Lions drawn in Group B alongside North Korea, Hong Kong and hosts Mongolia - are scheduled for March 22-26.
Before that, the team will travel to Japan today for a 12-day centralised training camp to acclimatise to the conditions in Mongolia, where temperatures are expected to be 5 deg C and below.
NEW FACES
New faces in the squad include Young Lions defender Nur Adam Abdullah and Safsa midfielder Amirul Haikal.
Said Fandi: "This qualifying tournament is a good opportunity for the team to pit themselves against quality opponents in Asia.
"Some of the players in this squad played in last November's Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup.
"Their experience will stand them in good stead for these qualifiers and I am sure the other players will also benefit from their experience.
"Given Mongolia's climate, the training camp in Japan is critical for the team to acclimatise to playing in cold-weather conditions.
"We want the boys to be able to focus on the qualifiers and show what they can bring to the team."
GOALKEEPERS: Kenji Rusydi, Adib Nur Hakim, Zharfan Rohaizad
DEFENDERS: Akram Azman, Danish Irfan, Irfan Fandi, Irfan Najeeb, Nur Adam Abdullah, Syahrul Sazali, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Lionel Tan
MIDFIELDERS: Amirul Haikal, Justin Hui, Jacob Mahler, Joshua Pereira, Naqiuddin Eunos, Saifullah Akbar, Nur Luqman, Hami Syahin, Arshad Shamim
FORWARDS: Haiqal Pashia, Ikhsan Fandi, Amiruldin Asraf, Syukri Bashir
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