Malaysia’s national football team aims to end a 12-year away drought against Vietnam in their final Asian Cup qualifier, despite having their qualification hopes dashed by a points deduction.
NATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski insists his Harimau Malaya squad is ready for a stern challenge against Vietnam in their final Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Nam Dinh tomorrow night.
Cklamovski stated his players are prepared to embrace the difficult task of facing a quality opponent on their home ground.
“We come here prepared, ready and ready for a tough game against a very good opponent,” he told a pre-match press conference.
The Australian tactician admitted the team is still reeling from the recent setback of FIFA sanctions and a points deduction imposed by the Asian Football Confederation which severely impacted Malaysia’s qualification chances.
He stressed the team’s focus remains on controlling their own performance and maintaining a winning mentality regardless of the external circumstances.
Cklamovski added that the match presents a clear opportunity to end Malaysia’s long-standing winless run against Vietnam away from home, which stretches back over a decade.
“At the same time, Malaysia has not beaten Vietnam away from home for over 12 years or something like that, so there’s something to chase there,” he said.
Malaysia’s last away victory over Vietnam was a 4-2 win in the second leg of the semi-finals of the 2014 AFF Championship in Hanoi.
Defender Dion Cools echoed his coach’s sentiments by highlighting the squad’s determination heading into the crucial encounter.
Vietnam has already qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals and leads Group F with 15 points, followed by Malaysia in second spot with nine points.
Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying on merit for a second consecutive Asian Cup were dashed after being docked six points by the AFC.
The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee found that the Football Association of Malaysia had breached its code by fielding ineligible players in two qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam.
