Kim Swee to name Harimau Malaya squad on Aug 23

Datuk Ong Kim Swee will announce the list of 23 or 25 Harimau Malaysia players to face Indonesia in a Class A international friendly match in September, on Aug 23.

The national head coach said the list of players to be called up would only be released after the last group stage match of the Malaysia Cup is held on Aug 20, and that the centralised training would begin on Aug 29.

"I expect 23 or 25 players to be called-up to prepare for the match against Indonesia. Of course there will be three or four changes in the list from players who have retired, and three or four changes due to injuries.

"I will look at the situation in two weeks time to determine the players to be called-up," he told reporters after attending the opening ceremony of the Royal Selangor Club's (RSC) Seven-A-Side Football Tournament in Bukit Kiara, here, Saturday.

The reshuffle in the national squad is required after senior players from Johor Darul Ta'zim - Safiq Rahim, Aidil Zafuan Abd Razak, S.Kunanlan and Amirulhadi Zainal - all announced their retirement from international football, in addition to several absentees due to injuries.

He said the national team coaching staff had attended several matches to identify the players required.

On reports that certain parties were urging the FAM management to appoint a foreign coach to handle the national team, Kim Swee said: "For me, I cannot think too much of what is being said by these parties. What's important is I need to know my duty to prepare national team.

"The management has told me what my role is. If the management has instructed me to handle the team, of course it will be a task I need to perform well."

Kim Swee was officially appointed as national head coach on Jan 18 after holding the post interim since Sept 5 last year - a day after Dollah Salleh resigned following the national team's 0-10 defeat to UAE in the 2018 World Cup /2019 Asian Cup qualifiers in Abu Dhabi on Sept 3.