KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian women’s head coach Soleen Al-Zoubi believes that the participation of the Malayan Tigress in the international friendly tournament, hosted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), is a perfect stepping stone for her team’s long-term plan to compete in the women’s World Cup.
The 37-year-old coach believes that her team have the potential to achieve greater heights despite the short time taken to assemble her squad.
“This is my first time participating as a coach in an international friendly tournament in this region that always provides continuous development for women’s football.
“It’s a very important tournament for our players as they require this kind of high-level intensity game, and I hope to see a significant technical benefit for my players when they compete against these strong teams.
“We have been regularly watching Saudi and Pakistan women’s football matches, and we truly admire and respect their physical abilities.
“It’s not going to be an easy game for us, and we aim to use this tournament as a stepping stone for our long-term goal of playing in the World Cup one day,” said Soleen.
Meanwhile, team goalkeeper Nurul Azurin Mazlan, who also plays for KFF Presingu in the Kosovo women’s football league, said that she admires head coach Soleen’s tactics and aims to impress the Jordanian coach with her performance on the pitch.
“This is my first time playing under coach Soleen, and it’s a new experience for me.
“I admire her philosophy, which aligns with my playing style, focusing on build-up play and high pressing.
“We aim to earn our spots in the starting eleven through rigorous training and consistent performance, inspired by the recent success of Harimau Malaya and Harimau Muda.
“The combination of senior and young players really blends well within the team and will definitely yield good results for us in this tournament,” said Azurin.
The Malayan Tigress have set their sights on qualifying for the semi-finals.
World number 89 ranked Malaysia is in Group A with the 170th-ranked Saudi Arabia and the 157th-ranked Pakistan.
Group B will feature the 87th-ranked Laos, the 138th-ranked Lebanon, and the 171st-ranked Bhutan.
The national women’s team will play against Saudi Arabia early morning tomorrow at 1.30am (Malaysian time) and Pakistan on Thursday at King Fadh Sports City Stadium, Al-Taif.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals. — September 18, 2023