KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The government today agreed to give a RM5 million allocation to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for managing and strengthening the national football squad.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation was in recognition of the strong fighting spirit shown by Harimau Malaya in the 2023 Asian Cup, especially their success in holding Asian giants South Korea to a 3-3 draw in their final Group E match at Al Janoub Stadium in Doha last night.
He said it was an amazing encounter against South Korea, with the Harimau Malaya squad showing capability, determination and unwavering spirit despite having lost their first two matches.
“So, congratulations to them and may they (Harimau Malaya) continue to progress. Based on this spirit and the consideration of the Youth and Sports Minister (Hannah Yeoh), the government has agreed to approve RM5 million for FAM to manage and further improve the national team,” he told reporters before joining a group of people including Hannah for lunch here today.
Anwar said the allocation would be extended to the national football body soon.
This was the second encounter between Malaysia and South Korea in the group stage of the Asian Cup, with the two teams drawing 1-1 in the 1980 edition in Kuwait. Former forward Zulkifli Hamzah scored the equaliser for Malaysia then.
The last time the two countries met in a competitive match was in the World Cup qualifying round which saw Malaysia losing 0-3 in 1989.
Malaysia’s hope to create history by qualifying for the round of 16 in the 2023 Asian Cup was dashed after they lost their first two group matches, 0-4 to Jordan and 0-1 to Bahrain.
Despite the draw against South Korea, Malaysia still finished last in the group with one point.
— Bernama
