The call-up lists were released for the Malaysia senior team and the U23 team last week, and five members of the Red Giants’ squad will be joining the two teams’ training camps.
Only two players were called up to the senior team; goalkeeper Khairulazhan Khalid and recent returnee Amri Yahyah. Khairulazhan has been the top pick for Selangor boss Maniam Pachaiappan all season, having made 10 appearances and kept two clean sheets in the Super League. Amri meanwhile has just re-joined Selangor from Melaka United, and is the Malaysia team captain, as well as its most senior player. The forward has made a combined 11 appearances in the league this season for both Selangor and Melaka.
The two of them will join the rest of their Malaysia teammates and recently-appointed Malaysia head coach Nelo Vingada in Johor Bahru, in preparation for the Harimau Malaya’s first 2019 Asian Cup qualification group match, against Lebanon on June 13.
But one Selangor man missed the call-up this time. Midfielder Veenod Subramaniam, who was summoned by the Malaysia head coach at the time Datuk Ong Kim Swee for their March 23 friendly against the Philippines, their most recent international friendly and training camp, has been given the miss by Vingada this time.
The remaining three Selangor players meanwhile will join the Malaysia U22 training camp at the Malaysian FA (FAM) headquarters in Kelana Jaya.
They are striker Adam Nor Azlin, and wingers Syahmi Safari and Kannan Kalaiselvan. Adam had previously featured often for Selangor, mostly as a substitute, but has recently found himself sidelined more and more due to a drop in form and goal dearth. Syahmi and Kannan however have had better luck, ever since they were promoted to the Selangor senior team at the start of the season.
Syahmi Safari (right) captaining Malaysia U19 in 2016
Syahmi has played in all of Selangor’s matches this season as a starter, while Kannan has started in all of the Red Giants’ four most recent matches.
The junior side, now led by former Malaysia senior team boss Ong will travel to China from June 8 to June 16. They will play in a series of friendlies in preparation for the U23 AFC Championship qualifiers in July, as well as the 2017 SEA Games which will be held in Kuala Lumpur this August. Following the Young Tigers’ China trip, they will return and continue training together until June 23.
