No target set yet for Harimau Malaya in Asian Cup: FAM

PETALING JAYA – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has not set a target yet for the AFC Asian Cup held by the Asian Football Confederation.

This will be Malaysia’s fourth appearance in the tournament, having qualified for the 1976 and 1980 editions, and as co-hosts with Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in 2007.

Malaysia qualified for this year’s tournament on merit after finishing second in Group E behind group winners Bahrain in the third qualification round.

Media reports previously quoted national team coach Kim Pan-gon as saying that he wants to take Malaysia into the last 16 of the competition.

However, FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman said otherwise.

“We have not set a target yet,” he said. “Of course, every coach will aim high to qualify for the last 16, but we have not set a target yet.

“We will announce the target when the lineup for the tournament is announced,” he said at a press conference after FAM’s 59th annual congress.

Malaysia face a mammoth task ahead after being drawn into Group E with South Korea, Jordan and Bahrain – all powerful teams.

The Asian Cup will kick off on January 12 and run until February 10 next year.

At the congress, the body announced that they have amended a statute which had earlier stipulated that the two representatives from each state association have to vote on issues raised.

The amendment now states that only one of the two representatives must vote.

“This is in line with what Fifa and AFC have done, where they too have asked their member associations to amend the statute,” said FAM deputy president Datuk Wira Mohd Yusoff Mahadi.

Also present at the press conference was FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram and technical director Scott O’Donell.

The body also announced a three-year sponsorship extension with Malaysia Aviation Group, the parent company of Malaysia Airlines Bhd. – The Vibes, July 1, 2023