KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today revealed the final list of 26 players in the Harimau Malaya squad under the guidance of coach Kim Pan Gon who are set to compete in the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, from January 12 to February 10.

All 26 players were called up for centralised training at Wisma FAM since Dec 26, witnessing Pan Gon making no changes ahead of the prestigious tournament.

Of the 26 players selected, three are goalkeepers, defenders (nine), midfielders (six), and eight forwards, including the newest naturalised player, Romel Morales.

Malaysia, ranked 130th in the world, are drawn in Group E alongside Jordan (87), Bahrain (86), and two-time champions South Korea, ranked 23rd.

Malaysia, who ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, will begin the group stage against Jordan at Al Janoub Stadium on January 15, face Bahrain at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on January 20, and conclude against South Korea at Al Janoub Stadium on January 25.

Only the champions and runners-up from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams will qualify for the Round of 16.

This marks Malaysia’s fourth appearance in the Asian Cup after qualifying on merit in 1976 in Iran, 1980 in Kuwait, and as co-hosts in 2007.

As a warm-up, Pan Gon’s team, who arrived in Doha on January 1, are scheduled to face Syria in an international friendly match on January 8.

Following is the final list of the 26 players in the Harimau Malaya squad for the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha:

Name, Age, Position

Muhammad Azri Ab Ghani, 25, Goalkeeper

Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed , 28, Goalkeeper

Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, 22, Goalkeeper

Matthew Davies, 29, Defender

Shahrul Mohd Saad, 21, Defender

Daniel Ting, 32, Defender

Muhammad Syahmi Safari, 26, Defender

Dominic Tan, 27, Defender

Junior Eldstal, 33, Defender

Dion Cools, 28, Defender

La’vere Lawrence Corbin-ong, 33, Defender

Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee, 31, Defender

Stuart John Wilkin, 26, Midfielder

Endrick Dos Santos, 29, Midfielder

Mohamed Syamer Kutty Abba, 27, Midfielder

Brendan Gan, 36, Midfielder

Mohd Afiq Fazail, 30, Midfielder

Natxo Insa, 38, Midfielder

Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, 26, Striker

Darren Lok, 34, Striker

Muhammad Safawi Rasid, 27, Striker

Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, 22, Striker

Mohamadou Sumare, 30, Striker

Paulo Josue, 35, Striker

Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid, 25, Striker

Romel Morales, 27, Striker — Bernama