DBasia.news – KUALA LUMPUR: Under 23-year squad (B-23) manager, Datuk Yusoff Mahadi admits they will be facing a tough challenge in the AFC B-23 Championship qualifying round in March following a showbiz at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games recently.
He said the surprise of Datuk Ong Kim Swee’s men managed to open the eyes of other teams who would be more cautious in the next tournament.
“Other teams have already looked at the national team differently, they used to think we were a team of underdogs and the bottom of the eye to get points, but now it is different. They will be more serious when meeting our national team and this will give us more pressure.
“So we have to prepare the team ahead of the AFC Championship qualifying round as it is important for the final round (January 2020) to qualify for a seat at the 2020 Olympics.
“More than half of the players called for training with the previous team are still eligible to play in the round although players like captain Adam Nor Azlin, Syafiq Ahmad, Irfan Zakaria and Syazwan Andik are more aging,” Yusoff said.
Malaysia’s progress in the Asian Games was interrupted after losing 0-1 to Japan in the second round despite the shock of winning Group E champions by beating longtime champions South Korea 2-1.
They also rocked the Asian stage with a move to the quarter-finals of the AFC Championship in China in January.
In addition to being well-prepared, Yusoff believes that something that needs to be taken into consideration is the release of the player as the qualifying round of the AFC Championship in March is in line with the Malaysian League (M-League).
“Perhaps we will take the initiative by negotiating with troops or clubs. We hope to get better cooperation and the issue of releasing players does not arise. With this young team achievement in the Asian Games, I believe all parties will be more open to release players called, “he said.
Previously, Kim Swee could not use midfielder Nor Azam Azih and defender Matthew Davies for not getting Pahang’s release.