KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- The request to release three Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) players from the Harimau Malaya squad stems from travel arrangements for JDT’s upcoming AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) Group A match against Shandong Taishan in Jinan on Nov 26.
JDT Chief Executive Officer Alistair Edwards said JDT is scheduled to leave for China on Nov 21, the day after the players return from national team duty following Harimau Malaya's international friendly against India in Hyderabad on Monday (Nov 18).
“We reached an agreement with the Harimau Malaya set-up for goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi (Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed) to remain with the national team as the Southern Tigers have utilised Andoni Zubiaurre in the ACL Elite thus far.
“We are grateful to the National Team Head Coach Pau Marti Vicente and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for supporting our cause in the ACL Elite and JDT will continue to support Malaysia's attempt to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Edwards said JDT are taking the continent's elite competition seriously after making big investments this season.
He said JDT hope that a successful campaign will not only elevate the status of the club in Asia but also improve Malaysia's ranking in Asian club football which will inevitably benefit Malaysian football as more teams could play on Asia's elite stage in coming seasons.
Earlier today, FAM announced that three players, namely defenders Matthew Davies and Muhammad Feroz Baharudin as well as winger Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi have been released from the squad ahead of the national team's Tier 1 international friendly against India, thus leaving just 23 players in the team.
FAM said that JDT made the request ahead of their Malaysia Cup first-round match against Kuala Lumpur Rovers FC on Wednesday (Nov 20).
Vicente’s men who will take on India at the Gachibowli Stadium are looking for another victory after their 3-1 win over Laos in another Tier 1 international friendly at the PAT Stadium in Bangkok last Thursday.
The matches against Laos and India this month are part of Vicente's plans to prepare the team for the 2024 ASEAN Championship next month.
-- BERNAMA
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