KUALA LUMPUR: The national Under-17 football squad had a fine tune-up for the U-17 Asian Cup championships when they scored five victories in friendly matches during their training camp in Doha, Qatar.
The squad under coach Osmera Omaro beat Al Arabia SC U17 with a score of 4-2, followed by Umm Salal SC U17 (5-0), Al Ghrafa U18 (4-1), Al Markhiyah SC U17 (7-0) and Al Duhail SC U19 (1-0).
However, the Harimau Muda squad lost 0-1 to Akademi Aspire U17 in their final match at the Qatar University Training Centre, giving them a record of 21 goals for and four against in the friendlies.
Osmera, in a statement today, said he was proud of the performance, discipline and commitment shown by his charges and coaching line-up throughout the two-week camp.
“I hope they would bring home valuable experience to strengthen various aspects of their game, both on and off the field.
“I would like to thank fans of U-17 Harimau Muda for their unwavering support for the country’s young players,“ he added.
The Harimau Muda squad attended centralised training in Doha from April 9 until today to prepare for the U-17 Asian Cup 2023, which begins in Thailand on June 15.
Malaysia, who are in Group A, will kick off their campaign against Yemen on June 15, followed by Thailand (June 18) and Laos (June 21).
The top four teams in the U-17 Asian Cup championships will qualify for the U-17 World Cup in Peru at the end of this year, as representatives of the Asian Football Confederation. – Bernama