FSL picks preliminary squad of 29 for SAFF
Football Sri Lanka (FSL) released the names of 29 players of the Men’s national team that has already begun its residential training at the newly built Kelaniya Complex on Friday, officially under a secured Bio Bubble System recommended by the health authorities.
The squad has been picked by FSL in order to prepare for the South Asian Football Federation Championship to be held during October 1 and 13. Sri Lanka will play four league round matches in the six-team competition, where the top two teams will advance to the final.
Six each players from Upcountry Lions and Colombo FC dominate the squad while Defenders FC have contributed with four into the 29-man group. New Youngs, Blue Eagles, Renown, Blue Star and Sea Hawks represent two players each in the squad while a player each from Red Star, Burgess Hill Town and Queens Park Rangers, both of the United Kingdom, completes the squad.
The preliminary squad of 29 players, from various clubs, will undergo an extensive training period of three weeks. Two third-generation Sri Lankan players Marvin Hamilton and Dillon de Silva, who are playing in foreign leagues will join the camp seven days prior to the match day as per the FIFA player regulations.
Prior to the residential training camp, all members of the squad including players and of the coaching staff underwent two compulsory PCR tests with an interval of 72 hours. Players were kept in a hotel facility before they were tested with PCR and results were obtained.
“During the preliminary process of PCR test, three players were tested positive and were admitted to a private hospital. They are reportedly in good health. Other players are in good physical and mental condition to take up the challenge to perform well in the upcoming SAFF Championship which runs during the first two weeks of October,” issuing an official statement, FSL said.
Sri Lanka last played as a team against South Korea on June 9 at Goyang in Seoul in the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifiers under the captaincy of Sujan Perera. Sri Lanka lost the game 0-5, after narrowly losing to Lebanon 2-3 in their first game of the competition played four days earlier.
Preliminary squad: Sujan Perera, Chathuranga Madushan, Mohamed Musthaq, Kavindu Ishan, Waseem Razeek and Mohamed Shifan (Upcountry Lions), Chamod Dilshan, Charitha Rathnayake, Chalana Chameera, Mohamed Aakib, Abdul Basith and Afeel Mohamed (Colombo FC), Roshan Appuhamy, Asikur Rahuman, Rifkhan Mohamed and Nuwan Gimhana (Defenders FC), Dhanushka Rajapaksha and Duckson Puslas (New Youngs), Ruwan Arunasiri and Harsha Fernando (Blue Eagles), Jude Supan and Aman Faizer (Renown), Mohamad Fazal and Kaveesh Fernando (Blue Star), Mohamed Hasmeer and Asela Madushan (Sea Hawks), Supun Dananjaya (Red Star), Marvin Hamilton (Burgess Hill Town UK), Dillon de Silva (Queens Park Rangers UK).