PETALING JAYA: Eleven players from the 2011 SEA Games gold medal winning team in Jakarta have been called-up for selection to compete in the inaugural AFC Under-22 Asian Cup qualifiers in Myanmar from June 23-July 3.

National Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee said he has the core of the SEA Games gold medal-winning squad in the 33-player team for trials at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya beginning on Monday.

“Although I have the core of the SEA Games team I need to strengthen the squad with a bigger pool of players before the qualifiers next month,” said Kim Swee yesterday.

The Harimau Muda A players currently competing in the Singapore League make-up the largest number with 21 players while the remaining 12 are from the state tand club teams.

Malaysia u-23 coach Lim Kim Swee tolking to the player's before the extra time during the Sea games final at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan. Malaysia won a gold medal to beat Indonesia in penalty shoot-out.(21/11/2011/ S.S.KANESAN/ THE STAR)

The eleven from the SEA Games squad are Mohd Izham Tarmizi (goalkeeper), Mohd Fadhli Shas, Mohd Fandi Othman, Mohd Amer Saidin, Mohd Zubir Azmi (defenders), Mohd Nazmi Faiz Mansor, Mohd Irfan Fazail, Wan Zaharulnisam Wan Zakaria, Wan Zack Haikal Wan Nor (midfielders), A. Thamil Arasu and Syahrul Azwari Ibrahim.

The notable player back in favour is midfielder Gary Steven Robbat, who is making a comeback after a lengthy knee injury while the surprise inclusions are Ilham Amirullah Razali of Harimua Muda B (Under-19) and Mohd Ariff Farhan of Bukit Jalil Sports Schools (Under-16).

Kim Swee is expected to trim down the squad to 25 players after the 10-day trial before they fly off to Slovakia, Hungary and China for a series of warm-up matches from May 17 to June 11.

In the final phase of training at Wisma FAM from June 12 to June 20, the team are expected to play their final warm-up match against Timor Leste (June 17).

Malaysia are drawn with South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philip-pines and hosts Myanmar in Group G.

The Trainees:

Mohd Izham Tarmizi, Mohd Farhan Abu Bakar, Mohd Fadhli Shas, Mohd Nazmi Faiz Mansor, D. Saarvindran, Mohd Irfan Fazail, Wan Zaharulnisam Wan Zakaria, A. Thamil Arasu, Mohd Ferris Danial, Shahrul Saad, Gary Steven Robbat, Nazirul Naim Che Hashim. Mohd Amer Saidin, Wan Zack Haikal Wan Nor, Mohd Fandi Othman, Syahrul Azwari Ibrahim, Mohd Syazwan Tajuddin, Mohd Izuan Salahuddin, Ahmad Hazwan Bakri, Mohd Azizan Nordin, Wan Ahmad Amirzafran (Harimau Muda A), Ilham Amirullah Razali, (Harimau Muda B), Faizol Nazlin Sayuti, Mohd Shahran Zin, Mohd Norsyahrul Hawari, Mohd Syazwan Yusoff (Kelantan), Mohd Azrif Nasrulhaq, Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Noor (PKNS FC), Rozaimi Abdul Rahman (Sabah), Ashri Chuchu (Sarawak), Mohd Zubir Azmi (Terengganu), Mohd Hafiz Fauzi (K. Lumpur), Mohd Ariff Farhan (SSBJ)

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