Kim Swee to get best players for AFC U-23 qualifiers

PETALING JAYA: National Under-23 head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee will be able to pick the best players available for the qualifying round of the Asean Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Championship from March 22-26.

Malaysia will host Group J of the qualifying round tournament, which will also involve China, Laos and the Philippines.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said this was because senior national team coach Tan Cheng Hoe will not rope in any Under-23 players for the inaugural fournation Airmarine Cup, which is scheduled to be held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil from March 20-23.

“Both these tournaments are important to us. I have met both the coaches and we have come to an understanding.

“We will make sure Datuk Ong Kim Swee gets the players he wants as Cheng Hoe has many other players to choose from in the Malaysia League (M-League),” he told a press conference after the Airmarine Cup draw at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya here yesterday.

Malaysia have been drawn to meet Singapore while Oman will face Afghanistan on March 20. Then, on March 23, the losers will face off in the third-fourth placing match while the winners will square off in the final.

In another development, Hamidin acknowledged that FAM would meet on Wednesday to decide whether to submit the goal scored by national defender Muhammad Syahmi Safari for the 2019 FIFA Puskas award for the best goal.

Muhammad Syahmi scored from outside the box en route to helping Malaysia draw 2-2 with Thailand during the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup tournament.

For the record, Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri created history by becoming the first Malaysian to win the prestigious FIFA Puskas Award in 2016 when he scored a wonderful free-kick goal for the state during their Super League match against Pahang at the City Stadium on Feb 16 2016. Bernama