Top form: Arif Aiman (left) has made a fiery start to the Super League season so far, scoring five goals for JDT. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will have to make do without the services of Johor Darul Ta’zim’s young winger Arif Aiman for the Cambodia SEA Games football competition next month.
The 20-year-old winger’s name was missing from the list of 25 players who will attend the training camp for the national Under-22 side handled by coach E. Elavarasan.
Arif’s absence was expected as the SEA Games campaign next month will take place outside the FIFA calendar.
The high-profile attacker has made a fiery start to the Super League season so far, scoring five goals for JDT.
Selangor centreback Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi has been listed and his presence adds to the strength of the Under-22 squad, especially as they aim to meet the target of qualifying for the final in Cambodia. Mukhairi played an important role in the Mitsubishi AFF Cup competition at the end of last year, helping Malaysia to reach the semi-finals.
Elavarasan has also called up young goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, who previously participated in national training with the senior squad last month.
Sikh Izhan is currently keeping goal for Negri Sembilan.
Selangor provide the most players with seven, including Mukhairi, getting called up followed by Terengganu (five), JDT II (four), Kuala Lumpur (four), Kedah (three) and Negri (two).
All the players involved will train until Friday before the team are given a two-day holiday to celebrate Hari Raya.
The players will then report in stages for the final phase training camp starting next Monday, depending on their involvement in Super League matches with their respective clubs that week.
The Under-22 squad will leave for Cambodia on May 2 and open the Group B competition against Laos a day later, before taking on Thailand (May 6), followed by Vietnam (May 8) and the last group game against Singapore (May 11).
If the national team make it past the group stage, they will compete in the semi-finals on May 13 with the final and bronze-medal matches taking place three days later.
