Versatile attacker: Romel Morales (right) is the latest naturalised player and one of the four new faces called up by coach Kim Pan-gon in preparation for the Asian Cup in Qatar, which begins on Jan 12. — Kuala Lumpur City FC
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia look set to unleash a “new weapon” at the 2023 Asian Cup Finals next month after Kuala Lumpur player Romel Morales was called up to join the national team’s centralised training camp starting on Dec 26.
The 26-year-old is the latest naturalised player and one of the four new faces called up by coach Kim Pan-gon in preparation for the Asian Cup in Qatar, which begins on Jan 12.
The other three new faces are two Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) players Natxo Insa and Syamer Kutty Abba and Selangor defender Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee.
Morales, who is from Colombia, is a versatile attacker who is now the country’s eighth naturalised player.
Morales’ first club in the M-League was the now-defunct PKNS in 2018 before moving to Melaka United in 2020 and eventually signing with KL in 2021.
Morales played a pivotal role in KL’s triumph in the 2021 Malaysia Cup, and the team’s runners-up finishes in the 2022 AFC Cup and 2023 FA Cup.
He has scored a total of 46 goals in 148 appearances over five seasons playing in Malaysia.
Overall, no drastic changes were made by Pan-gon to face the Asian Cup Finals as he kept 22 of the 25 players called up from the previous centralised training camp.
It is clear Pan-gon wants to keep the continuity among the players who have previously played in the two World Cup 2026-Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan last month.
Two players based abroad namely Dion Cools (Buriram United) and Junior Eldstal (Dewa United) were also called up to strengthen the national squad this time.
However, Sharul Nazeem Zulpakar and Azam Azmi Murad were unable to be called up due to injuries.
Meanwhile, 19 players are placed on the waiting list if there is a change in the initial list of 26 players called up.
Malaysia, who were drawn in Group E, will open their 2023 Asian Cup campaign against Jordan at the Al Janoub Stadium on Jan 15 before facing Bahrain at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Jan 20.
South Korea, the No. 3 ranked team in Asia, will be the last opponents for the national squad in the group stage on Jan 25.
THE SQUAD
Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohd (JDT), Matthew Davies (JDT), La’vere Lawrence Corbin-Ong (JDT), Endrick Dos Santos (JDT), Arif Aiman Hanapi (JDT), Mohd Safawi Rasid (JDT), Akhyar Rasid (JDT), Shahrul Saad (JDT), Syahmi Safari (JDT), Mohd Afiq Fazail (JDT), Mohamadou Sumareh (JDT), Syamer Kutty Abba (JDT), Natxo Insa (JDT), Dominic Tan (Sab), Daniel Ting (Sab), Stuart John Wilkin (Sab), Darren Lok (Sab), Brendan Gan (Sel), Faisal Halim (Sel), Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee (Sel), Azri Ab Ghani (KL), Paulo Josue (KL), Romel Morales (KL), Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman (Negri), Dion Cools (Buriram United), Junior Eldstal (Dewa United).
