Togo test for Rajagobal’s boys

MALAYSIA will provide the opposition for Togo in the African team’s return to international action since a deadly rebel attack last month injured players and left two members of their delegation dead just before the start of the African Cup of Nations in Angola.
The March 3 international friendly has been classified as an ‘A’ international by Fifa but it is not clear if Togo’s European-based players, including Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor, will be in the squad to Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia will also play Yemen on Saturday as the national squad assemble for the first time since ending their Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 away defeat to United Arab Emirates on Jan 6.

National coach K. Rajagobal has called up five new faces in the 25-man squad while Selangor talisman Amri Yahyah has been left out.

Also missing are three players with the national Under-21 team which left for Slovakia yesterday — defenders Muslim Ahmad and Mahalli Jasuli and midfielder K. Gurusamy while two players from the Sea Games gold medal winning side, Abdul Manaf Mamat and Mazlizam Mohamad were excluded.

The newcomers are Negri Sembilan fullback Alif Samsuddin, midfielders Yong Kuong Yong (Kuala Lumpur), Muhaimin Omar (Terengganu) and Faizal Abu Bakar (Kedah), and Kelantan forward S. Chanturu.

Faizal is one six Kedah players in the squad, which saw Rajagobal recall Kedah duo Abdul Hadi Abdul Hamid and Khairul Helmi Johari and Terengganu’s Ashaari Samsuddin.

The footballers face two major assignments later this year at the Guangzhou Asian Games (Under-23) in November and Asean Suzuki Cup in December.

Rajagobal said he decided against calling up two separate teams of the senior and under-23 players as it would serve little purpose to leave some on the fringes.

“It is better that the players who are called up know that they have a chance to force their way into the team whether it is the senior team or Under-23 team.

“Rather than having 30 or 35 players and leave some out later, the 25 players are just about the right number,” said Rajagobal.

Malaysia have never met Togo before while the last of two meetings with Yemen ended in a 1-0 defeat in an international friendly at the KLFA Stadium in 1990. — DEVINDER SING