KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — National head coach Tan Cheng Hoe is hoping for the same performance his boys had dished out in the 2022 World Cup/Asian Cup first round qualifiers when their quest continues in the second round next month.

The Harimau Malaya squad had steamrolled past Timor Leste 12-2 over two legs in June and now will face Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates in the first two matches of Group G.

The upcoming international friendly against Jordan, ranked 99th in the world, this coming Friday therefore is seen as a good platform for his charges to develop their game further.

"A good test when we meet Jordan as we know they are so much better than us. The game is only a friendly but I hope the boys can learn something useful from the match.

"We want to carry on with the same momentum and game play, and I believe each training session these boys come for, they develop further,” he said when met on the first day of national squad training at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras here today.

The friendly against Jordan will be played at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium before the team fly out to Jakarta to face Indonesia on Sept 5, after which they host UAE in Bukit Jalil on Sept 10.

Cheng Hoe said the 27 players in the squad have reported for training although several of them had been involved in Malaysia Cup matches this weekend.

"There are many who are tired from this weekend’s (Malaysia Cup) games and we will monitor them. I also hope those called up will bond and create a family like atmosphere as we have a mission to accomplish for the nation,” Cheng Hoe added. — Bernama