KUALA LUMPUR − The Harimau Malaya are set to begin a new chapter with their international friendly against the Philippines in the FAS Tri-Nation Series today under South Korean head coach Kim Pan-Gon.
After meeting the Azkals squad ranked 129th in the world, the national team is scheduled to face Singapore (161st) in the series set to take place in the republic.
They will be Pan-Gon’s first two matches with the national team in his mission to revitalise the squad and regain the faith of Malaysian fans.
Victories over the Philippines and Singapore are considered important for the national team, which is currently ranked 154th in the world, especially after a lacklustre performance over the past year, culminating in the failure to reach the semi-finals of the 2020 AFF Cup last December.
“The national squad needs to prove, first of all, that there is some change for the better. Although we can’t expect too much from Pan-Gon at this point, we want to see some differences in terms of the playing style and the discipline of the players.
“The second thing is, of course, we want a win in the friendly against Singapore, even though we know it is not a team we can take lightly now,” said sports analyst and local football observer Dr Pekan Ramli.
The head of the Sports Section of the Ministry of Higher Education believes that the national team should not lose in the two friendly matches and expects Pan-Gon’s squad to be able to bring home at least a win and a draw.
“I think we can win against Singapore − maybe with the Philippines, it will be a bit difficult. If the latter bring their best 11, I think it will be difficult to win at a time when our team is still in the rebuilding process,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pekan said Pan-Gon’s main focus at the FAS Tri-Nation Series should be to rebuild the team spirit, because, without it, the squad would not be able to play well or produce results.
Apart from that, Pekan said Pan-Gon should also look at bringing more discipline into the squad.
“The discipline of the players includes what elements Pan-Gon applies to ensure that each player follows (his instructions). It should not be the case that the coach tells something and the players play their own way − we want to see significant changes there,” he explained.
Yesterday, Pan-Gon announced the list of 25 players he will be bringing to Singapore, which includes mixed-parentage player Dion Cools and two naturalised ones, namely Liridon Krasniqi and Mohamadou Sumareh.
The team will also feature some of the country’s most sensational young players, such as Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi and Muhammad Ramadhan Saifullah Usman.
Malaysia lost 0-1 in their last match against Singapore in the 2019 Airmarine Cup while recording a 0-0 draw against the Philippines in a friendly match in 2017.
Pan-Gon’s team will also play against local club Albirex Niigata Singapore FC on March 28 as part of preparations ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers in June. – Bernama, March 23, 2022
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