KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — The Harimau Malaya football squad have been reminded not to be lulled by praise after notching two consecutive victories in their recent Tier 1 international friendly matches.

On the contrary, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said that with the final round of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers starting this Wednesday, there are still many areas the present batch of players need to improve.

“Admittedly the two wins over Brunei and Hong Kong are a good start to our preparations, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t do better in the actual clash.

“I remind the players not to be lulled by compliments and accolades but to instead use it as inspiration to fight on. While we get praised, there is also some criticism, so continue to make this clash a field to prove your mettle,” he said in a statement issued by FAM.

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According to Hamidin, the two friendly matches showed that there are still gaps to be rectified by Harimau Malaya, apart from the pitfall of underestimating opponents from time to time.

The national squad under the guidance of South Korean coach Kim Pan Gon will open their campaign in the final round of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers on Wednesday (June 8) against Turkmenistan, followed by Bahrain on June 11 and Bangladesh on June 14.

Should they emerge Group E champions or be among the top five second-placed teams in the qualifiers, the national squad will end their more than 40-year wait to qualify on merit for the Asian Cup since the 1980 edition in Kuwait. — Bernama

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