Four-time SEA Games Champion Malaysia will take on Essa-led Pakistan in friendly international ahead of eight-team 40th Merdeka Cup and ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup to prepare their team for the tough coming events. The Pakistan-Malaysia clash will be played at ancient Merdeka Stadium on Friday (10th October).
The 40th Merdeka Cup will be held at Selangor's Shah Alam Stadium from October 15-25 while Indonesia/Thailand will act as host of Suzuki Cup from 5-28 December.
The officials of Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the governing body for football in Malaysia, had invited Pakistan to note finers points and weaknesses of Malaysian National team during the friendy and the encounter will also provide international exposure to Pakistan team to check their strength for coming assignments in international arena, particularly AFC Challenge Cup in April 2009.
This is first time a well-known country of football, like Malaysia - four times gold medallist of SEA Games football accepting Pakistan's recent rise in world of football, called them for international friendly to test their current national team. It is visible example of true reflection of the continuously growing level and standard of football in Pakistan which has earned a place for itself in the emerging soccer playing nations of the region in the recent past.
Malaysia, who returned from Slovakia recently, emerged champions of Merdeka Cup last year under current chief coach B. Sathianathan when they defeated Myanmar 3-1 in the final, and it is significant and morale-boosting call from South East Asian nation who appreciated Pakistan national team's latest run in international circiut.
Pakistan squad will be comprised of Muhammad Essa (c), Imran Niazi (VC), Bilal Rafiq, Amir Gul, Samar Ishaq, Muhammad Imran, Nasrtullah Khan, Muhammad Qasim, Muhammad Ahmed, Farhan Qadir, Muhammad Waseem, Yasir Sabir, Farooq Shah, Asif Mahmood, Muhammad Rasool, Adeel Ahmed, Abid Khan, Haji Muhammad, Michael Masih and Arif Mehmood. Shahzad Anwar and Kamran Mehdi will act as coach and physiotherapist respectively.
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