SHAH ALAM, Dec 30 — Former national football player Khalid Jamlus has said Harimau Malaya are in the best condition to face the 2023 Asian Cup Group E competition, which will kick off in January.
Based on his experience, the Golden Boot winner hopes the national team under Kim Pan Gon’s guidance can maintain its excellent performance in the lead-up to the first two group matches, against Jordan on January 15 and Bahrain on January 20.
The focus on both of these countries is due to the physical factors of the players, as well as their strengths.
The last meeting between Malaysia and Jordan was in a 2021 international friendly, where the national team lost 0 – 4, while the match against Bahrain was in the qualification for the 2023 Asian Cup, where Harimau Malaya lost 1 – 2.
“But with the current team (Harimau Malaya), I do not think it is a problem, and I believe they can defeat the Jordan team to secure the first points,” Khalid told the press at the KTM KOMUTER 2023 Football Championship today.
Malaysia, which ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, is drawn in Group E with Jordan, Bahrain, and two-time champion South Korea.
Meanwhile, he also praised the outstanding performances of national players, winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim (popularly known as Mickey) and Kuala Lumpur City (KL City) FC striker Haqimi Azim Rosli.
The former Perak team star said both players are the best and can be considered as hopes for the national team, besides hoping that more lethal strikers can be developed to ensure the squad does not face a shortage of players.
In addition, Khalid believes local players should be given priority over naturalised players, even though their presence has greatly helped improve the world ranking of Harimau Malaya.
However, he reminded local players to perform best to secure a spot in the team’s starting lineup.
“Our local players are better now compared to before, so I hope they are given more opportunities to play and shine; now, naturalisation has filled our football, and in the long run, local players will have nothing to worry about,” Khalid said.
— Bernama
