MALAYSIA national coach B. Sathianathan has hang on to the foundation of the 2007 Merdeka Tournament winning squad for this year's challenge which commence on Wednesday.

"After taking into account the players performances and the friendly matches that we have played, I have decided to maintain 80 per cent from last year's winning team." said Sathianathan.

“Some failed to meet the requirements for international matches while some lost their places to more established players,”

"These players will lead the challenge in the Asean Championship. However, they have been warned that I will not hesitate to drop them if they fail to perform in the Merdeka Tournament."

National coach B. Sathianathan dropped eight players from the 30-member training yesterday. Fauzie Nan, Juzaili Samion, Bunyamin Umar, Farizal Marlias, Chun Ken Hong, Shafizan Hashim, Zairo Anuar Zailani and Mohd Norfarhan Mohd were dropped when the squad was finalized after the 4-1 win over Pakistan in a friendly on Friday.

Former national captain Mohd Kaironissam Sahabuddin together with up-and-coming talent Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin and Mohd Farderin Kadir made the closing cut of 22 players for the Merdeka Tournament. However it was Shukor Adan will pilot the team which consists of a combination of Under-23 and senior players.

Kaironissam, the UPB-MyTeam centreback, is making a come back to the national team after the Asia Cup last year while the offensive pair of Ashaari from Terengganu and Farderin from Kuala Muda Naza will join the senior lines for the first time in the Merdeka Tournament, which begins at the MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya on Wednesday.

Malaysia, Afganistan, Nepal and Sierra Leone are in Group A while Group B consists Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Mozambique.

Sathianathan’s main assignment is the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup in December. Malaysia has been drawn with Thailand, Vietnam and a qualifier from among Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos and Timur Leste. The teams in the other group are Singapore, Myanmar and Indonesia.

Malaysia squad
Goalkeepers: Mohd Helmi Eliza, Badrulzaman Abdul Halim, Syed Adney Syed Hussein;

Defenders: S. Subramaniam, Mohd Asraruddin Putra, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Mohd Daudsu Jamaluddin, Irwan Fadzli Idrus;

Midfielders; Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin, Muhammad Shukor Adan, Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Mohammad Hardi Jaafar, Azi Shahril Azmi, Mohd Amirul Hadi Zainal, Faderin Kadir;

Strikers: Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak, Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, Mohd Nizaruddin Yusof, Indra Putra Mahayuddin, Hairuddin Omar.