NATIONAL Under-23 team head coach Mohd Nafuzi Zain has set a semi-final target for his squad at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
He said the Harimau Muda’s immediate focus is on overcoming Vietnam and Laos in Group B.
To achieve this mission, he hopes to assemble the country’s best young talents for the biennial event.
“Our main target is to qualify for the semi-finals first, before striving to reach the final,“ he said in a post on the official Malaysia NT Facebook page.
He revealed that centralised training is planned to begin at the end of November.
The 46-year-old coach acknowledged a tough challenge awaits, particularly against Vietnam.
Vietnam enter the tournament with high credentials after winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
“However, that is no reason for us not to give our full commitment in this competition,“ he added.
He noted that most Laos players were part of the squad that recently faced Harimau Malaya in Asian Cup qualifiers.
Group A consists of hosts Thailand, Cambodia and Timor-Leste.
Defending champions Indonesia headline Group C alongside Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore.
The winners of each group and the best runner-up will advance to the semi-finals.
Malaysia failed to progress beyond the group stage at the 2023 edition in Cambodia.
They also finished fourth in the previous edition in Vietnam in 2021.
Malaysia last won the gold medal at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.
Their silver medal at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition marked their most recent podium finish. – Bernama
