FAM women's football committee sets AFC 2022 as benchmark

The committee chairman Brig General Datuk Norhuda Ahmad said in line with the committee's target, all participating teams can only register five players aged above 25 while the rest of the team must be players between 16 to 24.

"Since our target is the AFC 2022, we have to groom the players for a six-year period and therefore we need to identify young players who will be ready for the task in six years.

"If we do not set such requirements, teams will be comfortable with senior players, leaving a void in the back up squad," Norhuda told reporters at the launch of the tournament logo and draw for the trophy, at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), here today.

The Tun Sharifah Rodziah Trophy will serve as a selection for the National team that is due to compete in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF 2016) Women's Championship that is scheduled in Mandalay, Myanmar in July.

"If participation from teams reach an encouraging figure we may even decide to initiate a league," she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Sports Council (MISC-MIFA) assistant coach Zulfa Arnis Marah Sutan said despite being the defending champion, his team would not rest on their laurels.

Last year MISC-MIFA, pulled off a pleasant surprise by winning the trophy in their maiden appearance by beating 11-time winners Sabah 3-2 in a penalty shootout.

Zulfa said 90 percent of the players who had featured in the team's victory last year were still available and form the core of the team that kicks off its title defence.

The tournament, hosted by Kedah from tomorrow to April 16, will see 12 teams vying for honours, namely Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, Armed Forces, Perlis and Selangor in Group A while MISC-MIFA, Perak, Penang, Pahang, Kuala Lumpur and Kedah make up Group B.