Cklamovski wants Harimau Malaya to 'win our way' to 2027 Asian Cup
Fresh off back-to-back wins over Vietnam (4-0) and Nepal (2-0), Malaysia top Group F with six points and are in the driving seat to qualify for a second consecutive Asian Cup — having ended a 42-year wait by reaching the 2024 edition in Qatar on merit.
Only the group winners will secure automatic qualification for 2027, with Malaysia still to face Laos (Oct 9 & 14), Nepal (Nov 18), and Vietnam away (March 31, 2026).
But Cklamovski is brimming with belief.
The Australian insists his training camps are already geared towards producing top-level performances in Asia, and that the upcoming friendlies against Singapore (Sept 4) and Palestine (Sept 8) will serve as a dry run for the real thing.
"In my mind, it's a little bit like an Asian Cup format," said the 46-year-old.
"The Singapore match is game one — let's get three points. That's what we want to do at the Asian Cup when we get there.
"Game two is a tough opponent, Palestine. Let's win that too. The match is four days later — it mimics the tournament format.
"It's a little taste of how we prepare, how the players recover, train, and go again."
Cklamovski, who has brought a high-press, high-intensity identity to Harimau Malaya, stressed that results matter, but so does how they win.
"I'll always be looking to win — but win our way.
"We need to keep developing our team and the way we play, keep building our mentality.
"We want fans to believe that every time Malaysia play, we'll be aggressive, hungry and determined. That's the opportunity September gives us."
With Laos coming up in October, Cklamovski warned his players not to get carried away by the rout of Vietnam, calling it just "three points" in the grander scheme of things.
"We just need to keep improving. I don't want everyone in the country to get over-excited about what happened against Vietnam — treat it as three points and move on.
"We know what works, and we'll take that into September.
"And importantly, we use this camp to prepare for October."
He also urged fringe players to step up in the M-League, making it clear the door remains open for new faces.
"We have the mentality that nothing is going to stop us. This camp — against Singapore and Palestine — will be an eight-day sprint.
"Come in, be hungry, train hard, improve, connect, build our identity.
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