PUTRAJAYA, Nov 5 (Bernama) -National under-16 (U-16) football team head coach Muhammad Shukor Adan wants his charges to capitalise on their home-ground advantage to hunt for victory as they kick off their 2027 AFC U-17 Asia Cup qualifiers campaign against Palestine this Sunday.
He said the opening match is extremely crucial in determining the team’s momentum, especially since Malaysia is targeting to emerge as group champions to secure a slot in the finals next year.
Shukor said the national squad’s preparations have been running smoothly with the players showing positive commitment throughout their last three friendly matches, aside from working to fix identified weaknesses.
“So far, everything is going smoothly. The players have shown commitment from one match to the next, and every weakness identified is being worked on to be fixed,” he said when met after the national squad underwent training at the National Training Centre (NTC) here today.
“However, the first match against Palestine is the most important and I hope the players give their full focus.”
Shukor said the coaching lineup already has an idea of the starting eleven that will be fielded, but the final decision will only be made based on the players’ fitness levels in the last three days before the match.
Commenting on Malaysia’s chances in the group, he reminded his charges not to underestimate any opponents even though India is considered the favourite based on rankings.
He said Palestine, Singapore, and Guam also have the potential to put up a fight, thereby requiring the national squad to hunt for victory in every match to realise the dream of playing on the Asian Cup stage.
“Nothing is impossible in football. Every match is important and we need victories to qualify for the Asian Cup. We are playing on home soil and this is an opportunity that should not be missed,” he said.
He also called on supporters from various races to come to the stadium to give their support to the country’s young squad, while describing their presence as capable of injecting additional motivation for the players to fight for the country.
Malaysia is scheduled to open its campaign against Palestine this Sunday at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras, before facing Singapore on Nov 14, Guam (Nov 17), and India (Nov 20).
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