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New Straits Times

'Harimau should pounce on rare Nations Cup opportunity'

KUALA LUMPUR: The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup offers a rare opportunity for Harimau Malaya to play world class teams outside Southeast Asia, said Datuk Jamal Nasir. Former international Jamal said this means Malaysia will not have to play the same old faces again in the region. And the national side get to prove themselves against more physical and tactically advanced nations. "Going to the Cafa Nations Cup is good exposure for our team because there are higher-ranked teams there. These are Arab nations, and we've had little exposure to them and we always lose. So now we have a chance to prove that we are better," he said. Jamal pointed out that playing against the World Cup-qualified sides will give Malaysia a better sense of where they stand and what needs to be improved. "It will help a lot because we are playing against World Cup teams and we get to see whether our standard is coming up. We can head in that direction if we perform well during this tournament," he said. Jamal credited Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Fifa council member Tan Sri Hamidin Amin for using their networks to get Malaysia into the Nations Cup. He also supports the national team's move to "play less against Asean teams" and focus more on matches outside the region. "It's not that we belittle Asean teams, but we must move forward. Playing Arab nations is the best decision, and I credit those responsible. "If we perform well in these Arab tournaments, I'm confident Malaysia will improve even further and can take on bigger teams after this. I believe we can qualify for the final round of the Asian Cup," he said. Meanwhile, it is learnt that there will be a joint restructuring of the country's youth football development programme in July by the Youth and Sports Ministry, FAM, the Education and Higher Education Ministries. Jamal welcomed the move, saying it aligns with national ambitions and his hope to see Malaysia reach the highest level in global football.