MALAYSIA have set a quarter-final target for the AFC Under-16 Championships, which starts on Saturday in Bangkok.
S. Balachandran’s side are in Group A with Thailand, South Korea and Oman. Malaysia take on the hosts on the opening day, followed by South Korea two days later and Oman on Sept 10.
The team, who have been together since early last year, are confident of making an impact following victories in last year’s AFF Championships and the recent Asia Champions Trophy.
Skippered by Shahrul Akmal Md Din, the team’s biggest achievement was topping the qualifiers of the AFC Championships last year with wins over South Korea (2-0), Brunei (8-0) and Guam (13-0), and a draw with Laos (1-1).
It will be their third appearance in the competition having featured in 2004 and 2008, where the team were eliminated in the group stage each time without winning a match.
However, Balachandran is optimistic his team are capable of creating history in Bangkok.
“Although, we beat Korea in the qualifiers, it does not mean we will beat them again. Thailand will start as the group champions,” he said yesterday.
Balachandran will be banking on striker Najmuddin Samat and attacking midfielder R. Kogileswaran, who netted 25 times between them in the Asian Champions Trophy, for goals in Bangkok.
Kogileswaran is the younger brother of Titus James, who plays in France for a lower-tier club.
Group B comprises Japan, Australia, China and Hong Kong while defending champions Uzbekistan, Kuwait, North Korea and Nepal make up Group C. Iran have been drawn in Group D with Syria, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.
The squad: Asri Muhamad, Haziq Nadzli (both goalkeepers), Abang Nur Afirman Abang, Amirul Ashraf, Muhammad Ghaffar, Ali Imran Alimi, Hafiy Haikal, Muhd Najmuddin Samat, Muhd Syazwan Salihin, R. Dinesh, R. Kogileswaran, Shahrul Akmal Md Din (capt) , Mukhlis Ihsan Najmi, Muhammad Hafizuddin, Najib Abdullah, Muhammad Hafizuddin, Muhammad Naaim Abdul, Ramadhan Jalil, Amirul Syazwan Nor Azmi, Aliff Izman Sahdan, Muhad Shyamierul Razmee Jasmi. By Ajitpal Singh