Not easy to beat Malaysia

This match is in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

In an effort to strengthen the national team, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been actively implementing a strategy of naturalizing players. Under the leadership of coach Peter Cklamovski, the Malaysian team is aiming to create a surprise when welcoming Vietnam - the reigning Southeast Asian champion.

Increase naturalization

According to information from FAM, the Malaysian team has added at least 3 naturalized players to the roster, including defender Facundo Garces (Argentine origin) from Alaves Club (Spain) and striker Rodrigo Holgado (Colombian origin). In addition, there is a possibility of defender Jon Irazabal (Spanish origin) who is playing for Sabah FC (Azerbaijan).

These foreign-born Malaysian players are expected to bring a "breath of fresh air" to the attack and defense, helping Malaysia's tactical system operate more smoothly than when competing in the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

Coach Peter Cklamovski wants to build an all-out attacking style of play for the Malaysian team, similar to the way Australia won the 2015 Asian Cup, when he was an assistant coach.

Không dễ thắng tuyển Malaysia - Ảnh 1. — The Malaysian team is actively naturalizing players to raise their level, preparing to face the Vietnamese team. (Photo: MALAYSIA TEAM)

Before the important match against the Vietnamese team, Coach Cklamovski and his team held two friendly matches with Cape Verde - a team ranked 72nd in FIFA - at their home stadium Bukit Jalil. In the first match on May 29, Malaysia played an open game and held Cape Verde to a draw.

With the addition of naturalized players, the quality of the Malaysian team's tactical system has improved significantly. Players from European and American football training centers have helped Malaysia increase its attacking power and versatility in the ball deployment. In the draw against Cape Verde, the midfielder duo Palmero and Endrick played brilliantly, contributing significantly to Malaysia's 1-1 equalizer.

The rapid integration of the naturalized stars has created a completely different Malaysia. However, coach Cklamovski said he is still "hiding his cards" to surprise the opponent.

The shortlist for the Malaysian team will be announced after the second friendly match against Cape Verde on June 3. This will also be an opportunity for Mr. Cklamovski to check the performance and integration of the newly naturalized players.

With careful preparation and a strategy of naturalizing players, the "Malaysian Tigers" under the leadership of coach Cklamovski have been raised to a new level, in contrast to the previous disintegration and lack of cohesion.

A formidable opponent

In addition to naturalized players, Malaysia still maintains experienced stars such as Matthew Davies, Faisal Halim, Safawi Rasid or Arif Aiman Hanapi. This domestic squad has been with the national team since 2018 and has always shown stable performance every time they take the field.

The midfield is considered the key to Malaysia's tactical operation, with naturalized players: Hevel, Palmero and especially Endrick - the player currently playing for Ho Chi Minh City Club - who is considered to be physically strong and has the ability to control the midfield well.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian defense is very difficult to penetrate thanks to the possession of tall, fearless, experienced, and strong "air" central defenders such as the central defender duo Yuran Fernandes (1.98 m tall), Facundo (1.88 m) or goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi - who showed his solidity with no less than 3 important saves in the draw with Cape Verde.

Mr. Cklamovski affirmed that the Malaysian team only cares about fighting spirit, prioritizing enthusiasm for contributing to the national team, regardless of whether the player is native or naturalized.

With the reinforcement of their squad and the application of a strong attacking style of play, Malaysia has become a formidable opponent of the Vietnamese team in the race for the only ticket of Group F to the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup. The upcoming match between the two teams is assessed by experts to be no different from a "final" match, promising to be attractive, dramatic and very unpredictable.

The Vietnamese team suffered a significant loss of strength when losing key players such as: Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Nguyen Van Toan, Ho Tan Tai, Bui Vi Hao, Nguyen Xuan Son, Vu Van Thanh and most recently Nguyen Cong Phuong...