PETALING JAYA: The target of entering the final of the 2020 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup tournament in Singapore is realistic given that Malaysia is now looking at competing on the Asian stage, said Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi.
He said the coaches and players of Harimau Malaya should by now be equipped with the “final mentality” each time they compete at the Southeast Asian level.
“For sure we should be eyeing the title or at least entering the final each time we play at the Asean level. This is because FAM has set its sights on Asia.
“If we are still not confident of doing well at the Asean level, we might as well forget about (competing in) Asia,” he told a news conference after the FAM executive committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya on Monday.
The 2020 AFF Cup will be held from Dec 5 to Jan 1 next year, with 2018 runners-up Malaysia being drawn in Group B together with defending champions Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.
Malaysia have cleared the group stage four times, apart from entering the final three times and winning the 2010 title in the last five editions of AFF Cup.
Mohd Yusoff, who is team manager, is confident that chief coach Tan Cheng Hoe's squad is capable of achieving the target despite the short period of preparation. – Bernama
