KUALA LUMPUR – National footballer Junior Eldstal has guaranteed that the Harimau Malaya will not take a casual stroll in the park during their upcoming AFC Asian Cup campaign.
With the tournament scheduled to kick off next week, the 32-year-old centre-back, who plays for the Indonesia-based Dewa United, said his teammates were geared up to give their 100% in the tournament.
“After coming back from retirement, my main goal was to play for the nation, and being given a chance to play with this team is an honour for me.
“It’s been a while since we last qualified on merit, and we are not here to merely participate; we are here to compete. We have the belief in ourselves, and we just have to stay focused and we hope to make Malaysia proud.
“Coach Kim Pan-gon has a great understanding with me as he knows my qualities, knows for which games he can use me, and the qualities I can bring on the pitch.
“I have full faith in my coach, and I believe he will bring the best out of us. He has been making us believe in our capabilities and asking us to play for the badge and the country,” said Junior in a video interview with Flash Sukan.
Junior made his Malaysia debut in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games under the guidance of Datuk Ong Kim Swee and went on to make a total of 21 appearances for the national team.
Before the actual tournament, the team will play a closed-door friendly against Syria on January 8.
Malaysia, ranked 130th in the world, last played Syria in a friendly in September, holding the 91st-ranked team to a 2-2 draw.
“I’m aware that our group is tough. We have experience playing several Arab teams, and we know how strong and fast they are. However, we have our game plan and aim to give it our all in our training sessions.
“For the game against Syria, we know how strong they are based on our experience in Chengdu, China and it’s going to be a test for us before we play Jordan.
“The weather here is a bit cold, and we are used to these kinds of conditions. We did a recce, and the pitch and venues were fantastic.
“We appreciate the Harimau Malaya fans who took a long journey away from home to come over to Qatar and be here with us to support the team,” Junior added.
Malaysia, who ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, will begin their Group E campaign against Jordan on January 15, followed by their clashes with Bahrain on January 20 and two-time champions South Korea on January 25. – January 5, 2024