Kim Swee to call up Davies and Azam

NATIONAL youth coach Ong Kim Swee considers Matthew Davies and Nor Azam Azih as vital members of the national Under-22 squad despite having limited opportunities to work with the two Pahang players.

Kim Swee did not call up either of them for the recent tour of China as both were training with the national senior team. He chose not to include them in the squad for today's friendly match against Super League side Melaka at Hang Jebat Stadium.

But Kim Swee intends to bring both players into his squad for the AFC Under-23 Championship qualifying round on July 19-23 in Bangkok.

"Matthew is still recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up during the national team training and I did not think it was necessary for Azam to come just for this one match," Kim Swee told Timesport yesterday.

"But they will be among the 26 players I will call up next month to prepare for the qualifiers before reducing the squad to 23 players to take to Bangkok."

Kim Swee, however, could face opposition from Pahang, where right-back Davies is the captain and Azam a regular in the first team.

Pahang have not given up on the Super League title despite trailing leaders Darul Ta'zim by six points with nine games to play.

Kim Swee said Kedah rightback Ariff Farhan Isa will not be involved in today's friendly due to an injury.

Ariff angered Kim Swee when he disappeared from Wisma FAM, where he was supposed to be undergoing treatment, after being left out of the tour to China.

"That matter has been resolved after he explained himself. But he won't play tomorrow because he has not recovered from his injury," said Kim Swee.

Ahmad Khairil Anuar Ahmad Zamri, Raphi Azizan Mariappen and Danial Ashraf Abdullah, who were also ruled out of the trip to China due to injuries, will play against Melaka.

"Khairil is not fully recovered so I will look at him today to see how he is before deciding whether he can play," added Kim Swee.

Besides Davies and Azam, Kim Swee does not plan to add any more players to the 24 he has in training at the moment.

However, with Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed ruled out with a broken hand, Kim Swee may consider adding to the three goalkeepers already in the squad with Kuala Lumpur's Ahmad Solehin Mamat a possible candidate for extra cover. Devinder Singh