Latest news with #AsianCup
New Straits Times
23 minutes ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
No excuses: U-23 loss exposes cracks in Malaysia's 'football revolution'
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia had no business losing to the Philippines at the Under-23 Asean Championship, especially with the country in the midst of a self-declared football revolution. On Tuesday, Nafuzi Zain's side were expected to steamroll the Philippines in their Group A opener, but instead slumped to a shocking 2-0 defeat in Jakarta, with 18-year-old Otu Bisong netting both goals. The Young Tigers dominated with 70 per cent possession, but their poor shot accuracy — just 23 per cent compared to the Philippines' 43 — proved costly. Despite fielding nine players from the squad that won the Under-19 Asean Championship three years ago in Indonesia, Malaysia looked stagnant. Their three warm-up matches before flying to Jakarta appeared insufficient. Football critic Dr Zulakbal Abdul Karim didn't hold back in his assessment, saying the team looked unprepared. "They were slow to settle and seemed nervous, conceding early and late in the first half," said Zulakbal. "We had chances but couldn't convert them — that shows the preparation wasn't good enough. "The Philippines, under no pressure, played simple football and got the win. "When our senior team beat Vietnam 4-0 (in last month's Asian Cup qualifier), it gave a huge lift to Malaysian football. But confidence without proper preparation is dangerous. "We're seeing so-called weaker teams like Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines improving. The gap is narrowing." Zulakbal said Malaysia must quickly move past the defeat, as their mental strength will be tested in Friday's match against Brunei and Monday's clash with hosts Indonesia. Coach Nafuzi. whose "Nafuzi Ball" brand of play once brought excitement to the Super League with Terengganu and Kedah, must now dig deep tactically to lift the squad. "It's now a do-or-die mission for the U-23 side. The players must respond positively. A good coach lifts morale and finds solutions," said Zulakbal.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Harimau Malaya pull out of CAFA Cup over player release, travel chaos
KUALA LUMPUR: After weeks of hype, Harimau Malaya's debut at the CAFA Nations Cup has been called off, with the national team pulling out due to logistical hurdles and player availability issues. World No. 125 Malaysia were drawn in Group B alongside Asian giants Iran (No. 18), Tajikistan (No. 104) and Afghanistan (No. 161). The matches were scheduled to take place in Tajikistan from Aug 29-Sept 8. But with the tournament set just outside the official FIFA international window (Sept 1-9), the national team struggled to secure key players, particularly those based overseas in Spain, Argentina and Colombia. Clubs are not obliged to release players outside the window. "With the matches being played in Tajikistan, logistical operations become very difficult," said national coach Peter Cklamovski on Wednesday. "It's a difficult scenario for our players to get there and be ready to go. I'll never want to compromise the players. I want us at full strength." Malaysia had planned to use the tournament as part of their long-term development strategy, and Cklamovski admitted he had lofty ambitions. "I wanted to go into this tournament to win it," he said. "But once the fixtures were released a few days ago, it became clear that it would be tough. We have to respect the clubs." Besides player availability, the tight schedule and travel logistics posed major challenges, especially with FIFA's newly enforced 72-hour recovery rule between games. Long-haul flights, rising costs and preparation issues only compounded the problem. "We've got players in Spain, Colombia, Argentina. It's difficult to get them there," said Cklamovski. "Then there's the impact on the budget — all that effort to arrive under-strength. It just doesn't make sense." He insists the decision to withdraw was the right one. "It's a smart call. What's more important now is to use the September window wisely and focus on October and November, especially with big matches coming up against Laos and Nepal (in the Asian Cup qualifiers)." While the withdrawal may come as a disappointment for fans eager to see Harimau Malaya tested, the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and Cklamovski believe it is a necessary step in the push for long-term progress.
The Star
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Hamidin believes Harimau Malaya can break into world's top 100
Honoured: Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin posing with his Sports Leadership Figure award at the 2024 Malaysian Sportswriters Association (SAM)-100PLUS Awards on Monday. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: The dream of seeing Harimau Malaya break into the world's top 100 is no longer a pipe dream and could be within reach in just two to three years. Former Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin is optimistic that the national team can reach that milestone, given their recent progress under the Harimau Malaya revolution driven by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim. Malaysia are now ranked No. 125 in the latest FIFA rankings, a six-spot jump from their previous position at No. 131, their highest in 19 years since they last reached the same ranking in February 2006. The improvement came after a convincing win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign last month under new head coach Peter Cklamovski. Hamidin believes the current set-up has the potential to take Malaysian football to greater heights, especially with strong backing from Tunku Ismail. 'After such a long time, to see Malaysia ranked No. 125 is a great achievement. It shows what can happen when everyone works together to push the national team forward,' said Hamidin. 'When I first took office, we were ranked 178 in the world. Slowly but surely, we climbed up the ladder and even reached No. 130 before the Asian Cup in Qatar. 'We must continue this momentum. Consistent progress requires consistent effort. If all parties work together and give their full support, I truly believe it's not impossible for us to break into the world's top 100 within the next two or three years. 'But the effort must be consistent, as other nations are also working hard to strengthen their teams. Long-term planning is crucial to ensure Harimau Malaya remain competitive on the international stage,' said Hamidin. Still, he warned that other nations are also making strong strides to improve their rankings. In South-East Asia, Thailand continue to lead the way at No. 102, followed by Vietnam at No. 113, Indonesia at No. 118, and Malaysia just behind. 'We all dream of achieving greater success than where we are now. ''That's why continuous effort is essential. With the initiatives introduced by Tunku Ismail, I'm confident we're on the right track to keep moving forward. 'But we can't afford to be complacent. We must keep evolving and find better ways to improve the team's performance. Otherwise, we risk slipping backwards,' he said. Hamidin was speaking after receiving the Sports Leadership Figure award at the 2024 Malaysian Sportswriters Association (SAM)-100PLUS Awards in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
The Star
a day ago
- Sport
- The Star
Hamidin believes Harimau Malaya can break into world's top 100 within next two or three years
Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin (left) receive 'Anugerah Tokoh Kepimpinan' from Sportswriters Association of Malaysia president Norismadi Abd Manap at SAM 100 Plus Awards ceremony at Petaling Jaya. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: The dream of seeing Harimau Malaya break into the world's top 100 is no longer a pipe dream and could be within reach in just two to three years. Former Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin is optimistic that the national team can reach that milestone, given their recent progress under the Harimau Malaya revolution driven by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail. Malaysia are now ranked No. 125 in the latest FIFA rankings, a six-spot jump from their previous position at No. 131, their highest in 19 years since they last reached the same ranking in February 2006. The improvement came after a convincing win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign last month under new head coach Peter Cklamovski. Hamidin believes the current set-up has the potential to take Malaysian football to greater heights, especially with strong backing from Tunku Mahkota Ismail. "After such a long time, to see Malaysia ranked No. 125 is a great achievement. It shows what can happen when everyone works together to push the national team forward,' said Hamidin. 'When I first took office, we were ranked 178 in the world. Slowly but surely, we climbed up the ladder and even reached No. 130 before the Asian Cup in Qatar. 'We must continue this momentum. Consistent progress requires consistent effort. If all parties work together and give their full support, I truly believe it's not impossible for us to break into the world's top 100 within the next two or three years. 'But the effort must be consistent, as other nations are also working hard to strengthen their teams. Long-term planning is crucial to ensure Harimau Malaya remain competitive on the international stage,' said Hamidin. Still, he warned that other nations are also making strong strides to improve their rankings. In South-East Asia, Thailand continue to lead the way at No. 102, followed by Vietnam at No. 113, Indonesia at No. 118, and Malaysia just behind. 'We all dream of achieving greater success than where we are now. That's why continuous effort is essential. With the initiatives introduced by Tunku Mahkota Ismail, I'm confident we're on the right track to keep moving forward. 'But we can't afford to be complacent. We must keep evolving and find better ways to improve the team's performance. Otherwise, we risk slipping backwards,' he said. Hamidin was speaking after receiving the Sports Leadership Figure award at the 2024 Malaysian Sportswriters Association (SAM)-100PLUS Awards in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
RTHK
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTHK
SAR gear up for East Asian championship finale
SAR gear up for East Asian championship finale Ashley Westwood says he wants to win every match. Photo courtesy of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China Leon Jones said he's ready to play his third international game in eight days. Photo courtesy of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China Hong Kong, China will be looking for a breakthrough at an East Asian football tournament when they face the national team on Tuesday. The SAR have lost all their matches at the EAFF E-1 Championship since it began in 2003. This year, both the SAR and the national teams lost to hosts South Korea and Japan and will be battling for third place. The last time the two teams played each other, Hong Kong, China, defeated the national team 2-1 in a closed-door friendly on New Year's Day last year when the sides were preparing for the Asian Cup. "Of course we want to make history, but anybody who knows me knows that I want to win every single game I play," head coach Ashley Westwood said. "It makes no difference to me whether it's China, Chinese Taipei, Brazil, France, England, I don't care who we play." Westwood will be without star left-back Shinichi Chan, who was recalled by his club Shanghai Shenhua. Meanwhile, centre-back Leon Jones said he's thankful that so many Hong Kong supporters travelled to South Korea for the matches. He said the SAR team are very proud of "the sea of red" when they see the fans in the stands. Jones also said playing three matches in eight days was not a problem for him. "Obviously, most of the players in the squad have been coming back from the off-season, which is different from players from the other sides," he said. "But I feel my condition's pretty good. Playing in two 90-minute games in such a short space of time is tiring, but it's normal at this level of football." Kickoff is set for 3pm on Tuesday Hong Kong time, before South Korea face Japan at 6.24pm for the title. The Japanese only need a draw to win the tournament on goal difference.
