Malaysia coach admits weaknesses before match against Vietnam

In order to focus on the match in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against the Vietnamese team in June, coach Peter Cklamovski of the Malaysian team started the national team training program in Johor Bahru from yesterday (May 20). In Group F, Vietnam and Malaysia are the two leading candidates for the ticket to the next round, so the match taking place on June 10 is important for both teams, especially the host team Malaysia.

In this first phase, the Australian coach stressed that improving physical fitness is very important, especially when the players have just had a 4-week break after the end of the Malaysian National Football Championship (M-League).

HLV Malaysia thừa nhận điểm yếu trước trận gặp tuyển Việt Nam - 1 — Coach Peter Cklamovski of the Malaysian team (Photo: Getty).

"The players did not really rest after the tournament, but that effort is not enough. My coaching staff and I will continue to focus on improving our physical fitness before starting tactical exercises," said coach Cklamovski. The Malaysian U23 players will also participate in training to prepare for the U23 Asian qualifiers in September.

"Nine U23 players will train with the national team players and the U23 coaching staff, including Nafuzi Zain, Hairuddin Omar and Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak, will also attend the training camp," Cklamovski added.

Regarding the preparation for the three stages before the match with Vietnam, Cklamovski said the coaching staff is working to improve the quality of the national team through planned training programs.

"Every program requires a long time and a specific staging process, each plan must be carefully researched to achieve positive results," Mr. Cklamovski revealed.

The Australian tactician also commented on the recall of young players such as Fergus Tierney and Muhammad Abu Khalil, who have not been included in the squad since March last year.

"Fergus and Muhammad need to prove their ability to make an impact in the national team. With experience playing in foreign tournaments, they need to show more stability," said Mr. Cklamovski.

Before facing Vietnam, Malaysia will play two friendly matches against the world's 72nd-ranked team, Cape Verde. The first match will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on May 29 and the friendly will be played behind closed doors at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 3.