KUALA LUMPUR – The Harimau Malaya squad coached by Kim Pan-gon have been challenged to be the best team among the four Southeast Asian countries that will compete in the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar from January 12 to February 10.
Local football observer Datuk Pekan Ramli said that despite Malaysia’s world ranking being at 130 which makes them the third-best team in Southeast Asia behind Vietnam (94) and Thailand (113), the capabilities of Pan-gon’s team cannot be underestimated.
He emphasised that the Asian Cup stage provides a golden opportunity for the players to uplift Malaysia’s football status among regional nations.
“In Southeast Asia, two teams (Vietnam and Thailand) have higher rankings than us, with Indonesia being the only team below us. Still, I want to see us emerge as the best team and go further, ideally reaching the round of 16, even though it’s a very challenging journey.
“However, if it happens, it will elevate our position among Southeast Asian nations because every match in Doha will contribute ranking points, crucial in our efforts to climb into the top 120 in the world,” he told Bernama today.
According to the world rankings, Malaysia are at 130th position, while Vietnam at 94, Thailand at 113, and Indonesia at 146.
In Doha, Vietnam, who successfully reached the quarterfinals in the previous edition, and Indonesia are drawn in Group D alongside four-time champions Japan and 2007 champion Iraq, while Thailand, the 2022 AFF Cup champions, compete in Group F against three-time champions Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman.
Malaysia, who ended a 42-year wait to qualify on merit for the Asian Cup, will begin their Group E campaign against Jordan on January 15 (January 16 Malaysian time), followed by matches against Bahrain on January 20 and a crucial encounter against two-time champions South Korea on January 25.
Only the group winners, runners-up, and the best four third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16, a stage Malaysia have never reached in their three previous appearances in 1976 in Iran, 1980 in Kuwait, and when hosting jointly in 2007.
Pekan also highlighted the potential negative impact if Malaysia suffer defeats or, worse, fail to secure any victories in the group stage.
“Our ranking will drop again, and it will slow down our recovery. This will also affect the prospects in the second phase towards the third phase of the FAM Strategic Direction Plan. So, this is a crucial matter that we need to consider as well.
“We talk about winning against Jordan, Bahrain, and South Korea – but if we fail to achieve that, the bigger consequence is our ranking,” he said, remaining optimistic that the Harimau Malaya squad can face the tough challenges and high pressure in Qatar.
Get the latest news and information on the 2023 Asian Cup at asiancup.bernama.com. – January 4, 2024