PETALING JAYA: For the first time in a long while, there will be no Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) players in the national squad.
Interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe has named 24 players for the international friendlies against China on Nov 14 and Yemen on Nov 17.
Both matches will be played at the Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre Stadium in Guangdong, China.
Cheng Hoe has retained 11 players from the 23-man squad that finished third in the FIFA Asean Cup 2026, held in Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia, from Sept 25 to Oct 5.
He has also recalled three players from the Hyundai Asean Cup 2026 squad of July and August, and picked 10 others, including two new faces - midfielder Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba (Terengganu) and winger A. Selvan (Selangor).
The Harimau Malaya squad will report for duty on Monday, Nov 9, and fly to China the next day.
In the latest FIFA rankings, Malaysia are 133rd, China 96th and Yemen 144th.
THE SQUAD
Goalkeeper: Haziq Nadzli, Haziq Aiman Esa (Kuching City) and Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman (Selangor).
Defender: Quentin Cheng, Ahmad Zikri Khalili, Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar (Selangor), Rodney Celvin Akwensivie (Kuching City), Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili, Azam Azmi Murad (Terengganu), Daniel Ting (Ratchaburi, Thailand) and Dion Cools (Cerezo Osaka, Japan).
Midfielder: Nooa Laine, Syahir Bashah (Selangor), Ryan Lambert, Safawi Rasid (Kuching City), Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba (Terengganu) and Endrick dos Santos (Star City).
Strikers: Romel Morales, G. Pavithran (Terengganu), A. Selvan (Selangor), Paulo Josue (Kuala Lumpur), Fergus Tierney (Pac Omonoia, Cyprus), Richard Chin (Ross County, Scotland) and Ramadhan Saifullah (Kuching City).
