KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Several senior players may be enlisted to strengthen the Harimau Musa A squad to the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, next month.
Football team manager, Datuk Seri Afandi Hamzah said the Harimau Muda squad is currently in Australia to take part in the Queensland National Premier League since March.
“I am always in contact with (coach) Datuk Ong Kim Swee and all preparations are going smoothly. The players have also been able to form a very good team.
“There will be a centralised training camp when they return from Australia and all weaknesses identified will be overcome. Several senior players may also be enlisted to overcome weaknesses in the team.”
He said this when met after the selection committee meeting to the Asian Games which was chaired by Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, the Malaysian contingent chief to Incheon.
The Harimau Muda squad would leave for China on September 8 for a friendly match before going to Incheon on September 10.
Afandi said the friendly match is needed to test the first eleven 11 and hopes the players would be spared injury at the last minute.
The squad who is going to the Asiad under the category B should at least qualify for the quarter-final.
He added anything could happen and hopes the squad would be lucky not to be placed in the ‘group of death’.
“The draw on August 21 will decide where Malaysia will be and we hope to benefit from it. I hope we will be drawn with teams of similar strength to build confidence for the next round.”
At the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, Malaysia advanced to the first round after ending the competition at group level in third place.
However, Malaysia failed to make the quarter-final after losing to Iran 1-3. — Bernama
