KUALA LUMPUR: It may be require a Herculean effort, but the top man himself believes the Harimau Malaya squad are capable of pulling of an upset win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their Group G 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup qualifying match tonight.
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said this was not an impossible task for Malaysia, ranked 159th in the world, as long the players gave their fullest commitment and focus against their 65th world ranked opponents in the game to be played at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The 10-0 embarrassing defeat to the same opponents in 2015, also a World Cup qualifying match, the heaviest loss ever suffered in national squad’s history, still weighs heavily on Hamidin’s mind, but he reminded the players that if they have dreams of playing in the 2023 Asian Cup in China, then they must aspire to beat teams like UAE
anyway.
“I told our players that they have no reason to fear, and they must play with confidence. There must be full commitment from the players, especially the goalkeeper and the defence, to keep it tight at the back.
“I want them to give their 100 percent in the match and stay focused throughout. It is not impossible of pulling of an upset when we play in our own backyard and steal a point at the very least.”
Hamidin is also urging the fans to make sure they fill up every seat available and get behind (national coach) Tan Cheng Hoe’s boys.
It is learnt that as of Sunday, some 12,000 tickets have already been sold online.
Malaysia now sit on top of Group G with after their hard fought 3-2 away win in Jakarta last Thursday, while UAE will be kicking off their campaign. – Bernama
