Daniel Reflects On Malaysia's Valuable Experience Against S.Korea Ahead Of Oman Clash
KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- The Harimau Malaya squad may look less prepared than Oman ahead of their crucial Group D match in the second round of the 2026 World Cup/ 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Muscat, this Thursday night (Friday, 2 am Malaysian time).
This lack of readiness is mainly due to the players’ fitness levels as they have not played in any competitive matches including at the club level since the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar last January, while the Malaysia League (M-League) will only start next May.
The only match they played was a test match against Nepal which saw them win 5-1 in Shah Alam, last Friday.
Despite the challenges, left-back Daniel Ting highlighted the resilient spirit of the players, suggesting it could be a determining factor in their upcoming match against Oman, drawing inspiration from their resilient performance when they drew 3-3 with South Korea in the 2023 Asian Cup group match.
“Of course, South Korea is one of the top-rank teams that we have played so far, it was a really good experience with some of the top-level players.
“It was exciting to play against those types of players although we already couldn’t qualify in that game but it was a good opportunity for our squad to play against a team like that in our preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers,” he said when met recently.
The 3-3 draw against South Korea can be considered a historic result for the Harimau Malaya squad in the modern era of football after the two teams were separated by a large ranking gap with Malaysia then ranked 130th while the opposing team was ranked 23rd in the world.
Malaysia, currently ranked 132nd in the world, is scheduled to meet Oman (world number 80) at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat before once again meeting Jaroslav Silhavy’s side at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on March 26.
After the two games against Oman, Pan Gon’s squad set to face Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek on June 6 and conclude their Group D campaign against Taiwan at Bukit Jalil on June 11.
Malaysia currently leads Group D with six points, followed by second-placed Oman, who shares three points with Kyrgyzstan in third place, while Taiwan is at the bottom without any points.
The top two teams in each group qualify for the third round and confirm their place in the 2027 Asian Cup, while the bottom two teams will play in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
-- BERNAMA
