KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have officially named Peter Cklamovski as the new head coach of the national football team, Harimau Malaya.
The 46-year-old Australian, known for his extensive experience as an assistant coach for the Socceroos and a successful coaching career in Japan’s J-League, will take over from outgoing coach Pau Marti Vicente after the AFF Championship concludes.
In a statement today, FAM outlined its expectations for Cklamovski, including securing qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
“Cklamovski arrives in Malaysia to build a strong coaching team to ensure Harimau Malaya players receive the best guidance. This will help enhance their skills and competitiveness at international tournaments.
“As a start, Cklamovski’s primary mission is to lead Harimau Malaya to dominate the Group H qualifiers. This is vital for achieving the target of reaching the 2027 Asian Cup and improving the team’s FIFA ranking to break into the top 100,” the statement read.
Cklamovski began his coaching career as an assistant for the Australian national team (2014 – 2017) before moving to Yokohama F. Marinos (2018–2020).
He later took on head coach roles at Shimizu S-Pulse (2020) and Montedio Yamagata (2021 – 2023), where he managed to lift the team from the relegation zone to playoff contention in the Japanese second division.
Harimau Malaya will kick off their 2027 Asian Cup qualification campaign in March, starting with a match against Nepal, followed by games against Vietnam and Laos in the group stage.
Meanwhile, FAM have also announced the appointment of Nafuzi Zain as the new head coach for the under-23 national team, replacing Juan Torres Garrido.
The 46-year-old Nafuzi, who previously managed Kedah FC, has also held coaching roles with Terengganu FC, Kelantan, and T-Team’s under-21 squad, earning a reputation for nurturing young talent. — December 16, 2024