PETALING JAYA, March 23 ― National football team chief coach Tan Cheng Hoe has brought in nine new faces to the squad which tied 2-2 against Mongolia yesterday night, in preparation for their final match in the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifier against Lebanon on March 27.

He also confirmed that 14 players from the Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) team were released from the Harimau Malaya squad to give a chance to new faces “as desired by national football fans”.

“Before the match with Mongolia yesterday, we (the coaching line-up), had chosen who we felt were the best players in Malaysia. After the match, because of the draw, I think many people say we (coaching line-up), played favouritism by fielding a team comprising about 90 percent JDT players.

“So we want to give other players the opportunity to face action against Lebanon. We have released the JDT players, maybe it's the wish of the fans. As the coach, I will be responsible for performing my duty well and this has been conveyed  to the President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

“I will make sure the players are concentrating 100 per cent on meeting Lebanon because even though we have lost the opportunity to qualify, we want to record a good result,” he told reporters when met at the national squad’s training session at the Wisma FAM field here today.

Cheng Hoe also appealed to football fans and Malaysians to continue supporting the Harimau Malaya.

The fourteen JDT players who were called up for the national squad's training camp starting Sunday were captain Safiq Rahim, Ahmad Hazwan Bakri, Darren Lok, Nazmi Faiz Mansor, Safawi Rasid, Fadhli Shas, Fazly Mazlan, S. Kunanlan, Afiq Fazail, Syafiq Ahmad, Adam Nor Azlin, Haziq Nadzli, Natxo Insa and La'Vere Corbin-Ong.

The nine new players called to the training camp were Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak from Kuala Lumpur, Shahrel Fikri Md Fauzi (PNKP FC), Jafri Chew, Mohd Shahril Saa'ri (PKNS FC), R. Kogileswaran (Pahang), Mohamad Syawal Nordin (Kedah), Mohammad Nor Hakim Hassan, Nazirul Naim Che Hashim and Syazwan Zaipol Bahari (all Perak).

Cheng Hoe said 21 players would leave  for Beirut early this Sunday for the match against the Lebanese team. ― Bernama