NATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski believes the 1-1 draw against Cape Verde in a Tier 1 international friendly is proof that the Harimau Malaya squad is making steady progress.
The 46-year-old Australian tactician said the performance shown by his charges who managed to hold the world’s 72nd-ranked team reflects the hard work being put in by the team at present.
“For us, it’s a really clear focus on what we’re doing as a team and tonight showed that. It’s a reflection of every day that we spend together, the way we train, the mentality that we train with and the mentality that we have off the pitch as well.
“Highest level, highest standards that we carry into every day with that mindset of getting better every day and tonight’s performance connected to that,” he told a post match press conference, here.
In Thursday’s (May 29) match, Cape Verde drew first blood through Sidny Lopes Cabral in the eighth minute, before substitute striker Paulo Josue netted the equaliser in the 79th minute to salvage the national team’s pride in front of thousands of home supporters.
Meanwhile, Cape Verde head coach Pedro Leitao Brito said he was satisfied with the result, considering the current composition of the squad, which includes 12 new faces.
“We are very happy for the game, good challenge for us and Malaysia. I think both teams had chances to score but for us it’s okay because in this game we had 12 new players who did their first game for the national team,” he said.
Malaysia will once again face Cape Verde in a friendly match behind closed doors at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3.
The two friendlies against Cape Verde are in preparation for Malaysia to face Vietnam in the second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 10.
Vietnam and Malaysia now share the top two spots in the group with three points respectively after having played a match each.
