KIM SWEE ROPES IN SIX NEW FACES FOR BAHRAIN MATCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Olympic squad coach Ong Kim Swee has

called up six new faces to prepare his squad for the 2012 Olympics qualifying

match against Bahrain in Manama on Feb 5.

The six are Ahmad Shakir Ali (Negeri Sembilan), Mohd Azrif Nasrulhaq Badrul

(Selangor PKNS), Ahmad Hazwan Bakri, Mohd Shahril Sa''ari, Mohd Azizan Nordin,

Wan Ahmad Amirzafran Wan Madris from Harimau Muda A.

According to a statement from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM),

all 25 players would be required to report for training at the Grand BlueWave

Hotel in Shah Alam on Jan 25.

The Olympic squad would start their training at Wisma FAM from Jan 25-28,

before moving their training base to the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil

from Jan 29-31.

The Olympic squad, drawn in Group C of the Asian Zone 2012 Olympic

Qualifier, lost 0-2 to Japan in Fukuoka, Japan, lost 0-2 to Syria and again lost

2-3 to Bahrain at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here.

--MORE

SPORTS-FOOTBALL (OLYMPICS) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

After the Bahrain match on Feb 5, the Under-22 Olympic squad will face Japan

here on Feb 22 before travelling to Syria on March 14.

Malaysia have yet to qualify for the Olympics since the 1980 Moscow Olympic

Games hosted by Russia.

However, despite qualifying, Malaysia did not go to Moscow after joining an

United States led boycott of the games due to Russia''s invasion of Afghanistan.

The only time Malaysia saw action in the Olympics was in the 1972 Munich

Olympics in Germany but lost 0-3 to the host country in their opening match.

--BERNAMA

MCYS RV JRL