KUALA LUMPUR – Annil Vigneswaran, who has spent years playing abroad, is excited to get back on the field and prove his mettle for Harimau Muda after being called up to the national under-23 football team for the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from April 15 to May 3.
The 21-year-old versatile defender plays for the German club SV Waldhof Mannheim in the third tier of the Bundesliga.
He is among the two non-Malaysian league players chosen by head coach Juan Torres Garrido for the tournament.
Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, who plays for Yokohama SCC in Japan’s J3 League, is the other player selected.
Speaking to Scoop, Annil said that being selected to wear the iconic black and yellow jersey in the prestigious Asian tournament was a dream come true for him.
He also said that he aims to use his experience to give his best for his team.
“This is the proudest moment for me as a footballer, as I have always wanted to represent the national team in a big tournament, and I’m happy to know that it’s finally happening.
“I worked hard for this moment, and I am grateful for the opportunity. With six years of experience playing in Europe, I can’t wait to use my skills and prove myself on the pitch.
“I would also like to take advantage of this opportunity to learn from the team’s best players, who are extremely talented. I can’t wait to get started,” said Annil when contacted.
Annil also said that he intends to use the under-23 tournament as a platform to prove himself so that he can join the senior national team in the future.
“I am going to work ten times harder after this and make sure I am not distracted by anything outside of the field.
“My goal is to play for the national team under head coach Kim Pan-gon, and I will continue to prove myself on the pitch to achieve my ultimate target,” Annil added.
Annil, who began his youth career in the Netherlands with Ajax at the age of 10, previously played for another German third-division side, SV Sandhausen.
He was also with the German clubs SGV Freiberg and Freiburger FC between 2021 and 2022.
Annil was also a member of the national youth team under coach Brad Maloney for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 2021.
A total of 17 Harimau Muda players will be attending centralised training under coach Garrido starting this Sunday onwards.
Garrido’s team will later be joined by 11 players who are currently on the national senior team under Pan-gon.
They are Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi, V. Ruventhiran, Ahmad Zikri Mohd Khalili, Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar, Aliff Izwan Yuslan, Nooa Laine, Safwan Mazlan, Azam Azmi Murad, Haqimi Azim Rosli, Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman, and T. Saravanan.
Malaysia is in Group D of the Asian Cup for under-23s, alongside Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Kuwait. – March 15, 2024