Nacho Mendez reportedly responds after not being called into the FIFA ASEAN Cup squad

Stadium Astro reported on 25 September that Nacho Mendez had responded after not being called into the national squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup.

What FAM published

FAM’s final list of 23 players, issued on 23 September, was put together by interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe for the tournament in Jakarta and Bandung. On the first day of the centralised camp, Monday 21 September, Cheng Hoe brought three players up from the standby list — Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar, Syahir Bashah and Paulo Josue — in place of Faris Danish Asrul, Sergio Aguero and Romel Morales. The party flew to Jakarta the next day, Tuesday 22 September.

The turnover was heavier a step earlier. When the first list went out, Cheng Hoe had kept only five of the 25 players he took to the ASEAN Championship in July and August, with 13 more held on a standby list in case anything changed.

The questions around the list

Astro Arena reported on 25 September that supporters had questioned the decision not to call three naturalised players into the national squad. FAM’s release sets out the names and the changes to them; apart from the reason it gives for the three players who were replaced, it offers no reasoning for anyone left out.

What the squad walked into

Harimau Malaya, ranked 136th in the world, opened Group A against Bangladesh, ranked 181st, at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta on 25 September, kicking off at 5.00pm Malaysian time. Indonesia follow at the same ground on 28 September, Singapore in Bandung on 1 October, and the final falls on 5 October.

A three-match group is a short tournament, and this squad came into it off two defeats by the same margin: 2-0 away to Vietnam in the ASEAN Championship semi-final on 19 August, and 0-2 at home in the first leg on 16 August.

Related

• Harimau Malaya beat Bangladesh 3-0 to open the FIFA ASEAN Cup
• Three Johor Darul Ta’zim players make their Harimau Malaya debut against Bangladesh