Blue Sharks can sharpen up Harimau Malaya

New Straits Times

13-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, it is said, have found it hard to find "strong footballing nations" for international friendlies due to the national team's unimpressive world ranking.
So, Cape Verde coming to Kuala Lumpur to play Malaysia is something to be excited about. After all, the West African side are ranked world No. 72, much higher than Malaysia's world No. 131.
It's indeed a feather in FAM's cap to bring in Cape Verde, which will enable Malaysia's national players to have a rare learning-and-playing opportunity.
An island nation with a population of only 596,000, Cape Verde has produced stars like Logan Costa (playing for La Liga side Villarreal), Dailon Livramento (Serie A club Verona) and Bryan Teixeira (Bundesliga's Magdeburg).
Our coaches often say that Harimau Malaya need to play against higher-ranked teams to be better. But top teams like Japan, South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, etc, won't be interested in playing friendlies against Malaysia because of our world ranking.
So, for a change, Malaysia, who havebeen reduced to playing lowly sides like Timor Leste and Nepal in recent years, will get to play a top team soon.
And the deal gets even better, two for the price of one, so to speak. Cape Verde have agreed to play Malaysia two times.
Malaysia are scheduled to play Cape Verde in an international friendly at KLFA Stadium on May 29 and a closed-door test match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3.
Former national footballer and pundit Hasnizam Uzir said: "We've had friendlies before, but nothing like this. Previously, we didn't face as much of a challenge when we played Nepal.
"Now, Cape Verde will test our players in ways we haven't seen before."
Uzir said the two matches against Cape Verde offer a rare opportunity for the national coaches to gauge Malaysia's readiness ahead of their crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.
"This is the kind of match that will push Malaysia's players to their limits."
He said Cape Verde's physicality and high intensity will toughen up Malaysia against Southeast Asia powerhouse Vietnam.
Meanwhile football critic Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said: "Cape Verde agreed to play us, which is an honour."
He said the matches against Cape Verde offer a rare and valuable opportunity for Malaysia to play a world-class team.
"Cape Verde were ranked 27th in the world in 2014, an exciting feat. This is the kind of test we've always wanted, an opponent ranked under the world top 100. Even though they are No. 72 now, it's a rare name to face in friendlies," said Pekan.
Cape Verde made waves at last year's Africa Cup of Nations. They stunned favourites Ghana 2-1 in the group stage and held South Africa to a goalless draw in the quarter-finals before exiting on penalties (2-1).
Now, Malaysia hope the two warm-up matches against the Blue Sharks, as Cape Verde are known, will help them sharpen up against Vietnam.