KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 —Two senior players are set to be called on to strengthen the national under-23 (U-23) football squad for the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia this August.

National head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said each team was only allowed to bring 20 players, including three over the age of 23 to the Games.

Ong  had previously listed Kedah midfielder Baddrol Bakhtiar, 30, in the preliminary list of 27 players called up for the central training session which begins tomorrow at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya.

"I will only call the two players to attend the final phase training in early August before deciding who will join Baddrol to Jakarta later.

"I want to see which position I need to fill first as Baddrol can play in the middle as well as the left and right wing, which gives our team an advantage, while the two other (senior) players (to be called up) will likely be in midfield and defence,” he said met by reporters after attending the ‘Moh Skor Segalanya Bola’ carnival organised by Media Prima Berhad here, today.

The 2018 Asian Games’ football event will take place at six football stadiums from Aug 14 till Sept 1. — Bernama