P. Maniam calls 22 players to the Harimau Malaya B-15 camp before the FIFA tournament in Baku

Harimau Malaya B-15 head coach P. Maniam has picked 22 players for a centralised training camp ahead of the FIFA U-15 Festival & World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, FAM said in a media release on 14 October. The camp runs from 16 to 20 October at the Mokhtar Dahari National Football Academy (AMD) in Gambang, Pahang.

The squad

Every player on the list is 15, according to FAM. Seventeen come from SMK Gambang in Pahang: Ahmad Ahnaf Dzul Affendi, Amirul Faris Azlan @ Iskandar Shah, Anas Suffiyan Mohamad Arif, Armin Haikal Hazim, Darwin A/L Tamil Vanaan, Muhammad Hykal Iqwan Azlan, Muhammad Adib Mohamed Ezammuddin, Muhammad Airis Rizqin Razeiman Azlan, Muhammad Ammar Mohd Saiful Hisham, Muhammad Ammar Idrakie Khairil Anuar, Muhammad Afiq Akram Yusni, Muhammad Ariq Fayyadh Raimi, Muhammad Harris Haneef Zulkiffli, Muhammad Iman Luthfi Zairol Hisham, Muhammad Mikhaeel Yee Mohd Mubeen Yee, Muhammad Nabil Sukiman and Muhammad Razin Aqeef Nazmi.

Four are from SMK Taman Desa Skudai in Johor: Aqhee Haiqal Koko, Danny Firas Musleyadi, Muhammad Harith Musyrif Hairy and Muhammad Rayyan Haziq Ahfizal Ahmad. The last, Muhammad Shahril Izwan Zainuddin, is from SMK Sultan Ibrahim Fikri in Terengganu.

Group H in Baku

The first edition of the tournament has drawn 189 teams from six confederations into 32 groups, FAM said. Matches are eight-a-side, and each group is played as a single round-robin league in the qualifying stage. All of the squad’s Group H matches are at the Hövsan Competition Complex between 24 and 26 October.

The campaign opens against Dominica on Saturday 24 October at 2:15pm Malaysian time. On Sunday 25 October the side play Syria at 1.00pm and Ethiopia at 7.45pm. Matchday 3, on Monday 26 October, brings Hungary at 3.30pm and Mexico at 10.15pm Malaysian time.