You’re in Kiko!

Francisco and Shahrel earn national call-ups

PETALING JAYA: Midfielder Francisco Javier Insa Bohigues (pic), who has a Malaysian grandmother, and Premier League hotshot Shahrel Fikri Fauzi have received their first call-up to the national team.

The duo have been called up by national coach Eduardo Vingada for the centralised training camp in Melaka on Aug 14, ahead of their 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers Group B match against Hong Kong on Sept 5.

The Harimau Malaya are scheduled to play friendlies against Syria in Melaka ( Aug 22), Macau away (Aug 25) and Myanmar in Yangon (Aug 29) as tune-ups for the HK match.

Shahrel, who has scored 16 goals with Premier League outfit Perak State Develop-ment Corporation (PKNP) in all competitions this season, has been roped in to give the frontline more firepower.

Francisco is expected to shore up the national team’s defence.

The versatile Francisco, who is better known as Kiko, can play as a centreback, defensive midfielder or central midfielder and has been linked with a call-up since receiving his Malaysian passport and joining Pahang at the start of the 2017 season.

Portuguese coach Vingada has retained only 13 of the 24 players from the side who lost 2-1 to Lebanon in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers Group B opening match on June 13.

The 11 axed from that team are Wan Zaharulnizam Wan Zakaria, Afif Amiruddin, Mohd Faisal Mohd Rosli (Pahang); Shahrul Saad (Perak); Amri Yahyah (Selangor); Safee Sali, Mohd Nazrin Syamsul Bahri (PKNS); Izham Tarmizi Roslan, Mahalli Jasuli, S. Chanthuru and Azammuddin Akil (Johor Darul Ta’zim).