KUALA LUMPUR: As the national team began training for the Asian Cup qualifier against Nepal next week, the AMD boys — from Mokhtar Dahari Academy — are linking up again.
Defender Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar will reunite with his former national Under-23 teammates Luqman Hakim Shamsudin and Aliff Izwan Yuslan.
Their footballing paths were all shaped by the same grassroots journey years earlier — at the AMD in Gambang, Pahang.
Harith and Luqman, who trained at the AMD from 2015 to 2019, were considered among the academy’s brightest prospects.
Together, they played in tournaments such as the 2018 AFC Under-16 Championship and 2019 AFF Under-19 Championship, before turning out for Selangor and the senior national team.
Luqman’s stint abroad and Harith’s emergence as a solid centre-back stand today as proof of AMD’s success in nurturing homegrown talent.
Aliff, who is two years their junior, followed a similar route. Also an AMD graduate, he was with the programme from 2019–2020.
Aliff looked up to Harith and Luqman as trailblazers of the National Football Development Plan (NFDP), players who turned the AMD promise into professional reality.
By the time he advanced through Selangor‘s ranks and earned his place in the Malaysia U-19 and U-23 teams, the AMD circle had begun to close.
Now, as the trio reunite under the national senior squad banner, their shared AMD roots serve as a reminder of how the national youth programme continues to feed Malaysian football’s future.
“I feel that players like Luqman can help the national team,” said Harith at a press conference today.
He stressed the importance of continuity within the national setup, noting that the inclusion of former national Under-23 teammates like Luqman and Aliff will build cohesion and understanding.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
