KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Naturalised player Mohamadou Sumareh has returned to the Harimau Malaya squad after being included in interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s 26-man squad for a centralised training camp ahead of the ASEAN Championship later this month.
Besides Sumareh, Cheng Hoe has also named several experienced players, including three other naturalised players, namely Paulo Josue, Sergio Aguero and Endrick dos Santos, despite facing difficulties in securing the release of players from their respective clubs.
The squad also features several young players and new faces, including Pavithran Gunalan, Faris Danish Asrul, Haziq Aiman Esa, Ziad El Basheer Norisham and Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), in a statement today, said the squad was selected after Cheng Hoe conducted a thorough assessment and evaluation.
“He (Cheng Hoe) faces a difficult situation in preparing the team for the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup.
“This is because, as everyone is aware, the tournament will be held outside the FIFA International Match Calendar, and at a time when clubs competing in the 2026-2027 Super League have only just begun their respective pre-season training,” it said.
All players will report for the centralised training beginning Wednesday, leaving Cheng Hoe with only eight days to build team cohesion before the squad departs for Yangon, Myanmar on July 23.
Harimau Malaya will open their Group B campaign against Myanmar at Thuwunna Stadium on July 25, before taking on Laos at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras (July 28), Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok (Aug 1) and the Philippines in Cheras on Aug 8.
The top two finishers in each group will advance to the home-and-away semifinals in mid-August, while the two-legged final will be held on Aug 22 and 26.
