SHAH ALAM: Former national football player Khalid Jamlus said that the Harimau Malaya are in the best condition to face the 2023 Asian Cup Group E competition, which will kick off in January.
Based on his experience, the Golden Boot winner hopes that the national team under the guidance of Kim Pan Gon can maintain excellent performance leading up to the first two group matches against Jordan on Jan 15 and Bahrain on Jan 20.
He said that the focus on both of these countries is due to the physical factor of the players, as well as the strengths possessed by them.
The last meeting between Malaysia and Jordan was in a 2021 international friendly, where the national team lost 0-4, while the match against Bahrain was in the qualification for the 2023 Asian Cup, where Harimau Malaya lost 1-2.
“But with the current team (Harimau Malaya), I don’t think it’s a problem, and I believe they can defeat the Jordan team to secure the first points,“ he told reporters at the KTM KOMUTER 2023 Football Championship here today.
Malaysia, who ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, are drawn in Group E with Jordan, Bahrain, and two-time champions South Korea.
Meanwhile, Khalid also praised the outstanding performances of two national players, namely Selangor winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, also known as Mickey, and Kuala Lumpur City (KL City) FC striker Haqimi Azim Rosli.
The former Perak team star said both players are the best and can be considered as hopes for the national team, besides hoping that more lethal strikers can be developed to ensure the squad does not face a shortage of players.
In addition, Khalid believes that local players should be given priority over naturalised players, even though their presence has greatly helped improve the world ranking of Harimau Malaya.
However, he reminded that local players must display their best performance to secure a spot in the team’s starting lineup.
“Our local players are better now compared to before, so I hope they are given more opportunities to play and shine; now, naturalisation has filled our football, and in the long run, local players will have nothing to worry about,“ he said. - Bernama
