KUALA LUMPUR: Only 10 players from the Under-16 squad that won bronze at the AFF Championship have been included for the AFC Championship in Kuala Lumpur later this month.
The 10 are goalkeepers Abdul Alim Ali and Syahmi Adib; defenders Ali Imran Sukari, Alias Alan and Danish Ishak; midfielders Ikhwan Hafizo, Alif Daniel and Syukur Fariz; and strikers Harith Naem and Danial Amali.
Coach Lim Teong Kim will have a squad of 23 players for the tournament. Malaysia are in Group A, and they will open against Tajikistan on Sept 20, followed by Thailand on Sept 23 and Japan on Sept 26 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The Under-16 squad, developed under the National Football Development Plan (NFDP), have set a semi-final target. The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for next year’s Under-17 World Cup in Peru.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sikh Izhan Nazrel, Abdul Alim Ali, Syahmi Adib Haikal;
Defenders: Azannis Adzri, Firdaus Ramli, Ali Imran Sukari, Hariz Mansor, Alif Mutalib, Raimi Shamsul, Ahmad Zikri, Danish Ishak, Alias Alan;
Midfielders: Ikhwan Hafizo, Firdaus Kaironnisam, Alif Daniel, Umar Hakeem, Syukur Fariz Januri, Harith Haiqal;
Strikers: Najmudin Akmal, Amirul Azzim, Luqman Hakim, Harith Naem Jaineh, Danial Amali.