
Harimau Malaya Sedia Cabar Iran di CAFA Nations Cup 2025
He said any opponent would be wise not to underestimate them, as he believes the national squad has undergone a major transformation and is now in the right shape to take on stronger sides.
He said Malaysia's recent resurgence has not gone unnoticed, with opponents beginning to take notice, a clear sign that the team is no longer being seen as underdogs.
'It's too early to predict anything, but what's clear is that teams are starting to pay close attention to Malaysia. The Malaysia of old is not the same as the Malaysia of today.
'Now, any team facing us will be on alert. I don't expect there to be big scorelines from either side,' he told Bernama.
Scully has urged the Harimau Malaya to step onto the pitch without being weighed down by world rankings, insisting that 'numbers are just numbers' and anything can happen once the whistle blows.
He stressed that while a win would be a welcome bonus, a loss should not be seen as a disaster, but rather a chance to identify and address weaknesses ahead of bigger battles to come.
Apart from facing heavyweights Iran, Malaysia (ranked 131st) will also take on hosts Tajikistan (104th) and Afghanistan (160th) in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup.
Malaysia will kick off their campaign against Tajikistan on Aug 29, followed by clashes with Iran on Sept 1 and Afghanistan on Sept 4. All matches will be played in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
After the tournament, Malaysia will resume their remaining Group F fixtures in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, starting with matches against Laos in Vientiane on Oct 9 and in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 14. They will then face Nepal in Kathmandu on Nov 18, before taking on Vietnam away in March next year.
Meanwhile, sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli cautioned that three straight defeats in the group stage could shake fan confidence in the new-look Harimau Malaya, especially among those still unconvinced by the inclusion of heritage players.
'At the very least, we need to reach the semi-finals for fans to continue feeling proud of this Harimau Malaya side.
'If we suffer heavy losses or crash out early, expectations will dip and it'll give critics of the heritage player concept the opening they've been waiting for to lash out,' he said.
He also urged for the consistent inclusion of heritage players throughout the tournament, believing their presence is key to strengthening what he described as one of Malaysia's strongest squads in recent memory.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Cklamovski wants Harimau Malaya to 'win our way' to 2027 Asian Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: It may be early days in Malaysia's 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign, but Harimau Malaya coach Peter Cklamovski is already thinking big. Fresh off back-to-back wins over Vietnam (4-0) and Nepal (2-0), Malaysia top Group F with six points and are in the driving seat to qualify for a second consecutive Asian Cup — having ended a 42-year wait by reaching the 2024 edition in Qatar on merit. Only the group winners will secure automatic qualification for 2027, with Malaysia still to face Laos (Oct 9 & 14), Nepal (Nov 18), and Vietnam away (March 31, 2026). But Cklamovski is brimming with belief. The Australian insists his training camps are already geared towards producing top-level performances in Asia, and that the upcoming friendlies against Singapore (Sept 4) and Palestine (Sept 8) will serve as a dry run for the real thing. "In my mind, it's a little bit like an Asian Cup format," said the 46-year-old. "The Singapore match is game one — let's get three points. That's what we want to do at the Asian Cup when we get there. "Game two is a tough opponent, Palestine. Let's win that too. The match is four days later — it mimics the tournament format. "It's a little taste of how we prepare, how the players recover, train, and go again." Cklamovski, who has brought a high-press, high-intensity identity to Harimau Malaya, stressed that results matter, but so does how they win. "I'll always be looking to win — but win our way. "We need to keep developing our team and the way we play, keep building our mentality. "We want fans to believe that every time Malaysia play, we'll be aggressive, hungry and determined. That's the opportunity September gives us." With Laos coming up in October, Cklamovski warned his players not to get carried away by the rout of Vietnam, calling it just "three points" in the grander scheme of things. "We just need to keep improving. I don't want everyone in the country to get over-excited about what happened against Vietnam — treat it as three points and move on. "We know what works, and we'll take that into September. "And importantly, we use this camp to prepare for October." He also urged fringe players to step up in the M-League, making it clear the door remains open for new faces. "We have the mentality that nothing is going to stop us. This camp — against Singapore and Palestine — will be an eight-day sprint. "Come in, be hungry, train hard, improve, connect, build our identity.


New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Can Harimau Malaya do what the Southern Tigers just did?
KUALA LUMPUR: Can the national football team do what Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) just did? Go to Spain, the land of European champions, and play quality friendly matches against good teams there. Sports critic Sadek Mustaffa said the national team should get the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, with his global connections, to help out in this area. "We need to think outside the box, and it's time to use Tunku Ismail's global connections to secure quality opponents. If we cannot get top nations, we should look at playing top football clubs. "We know that during international breaks most clubs will lose their players, but I think clubs in Japan and Saudi Arabia have top quality players who are no longer internationals," said Sadek. He felt that Harimau Malaya, who lack matches against top sides, have already made a bad move by withdrawing (due to logistical and player availability issues) from the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup from Aug 29-Sept 8. Sadek said the national team, who have risen to world No. 125, need to play quality matches against top clubs to maintain their momentum. He added that it would be a waste for the foreign-based national players — Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Hidalgo — to spend hours travelling to join Harimau Malaya only to play low-quality matches. FAM announced on Wednesday that Malaysia will play friendly matches against Singapore and Palestine in September. "What's the point of playing matches that are not going to help our team improve? We have good players based abroad, and they would spend more than 24 hours travelling to play these low- quality matches. "The national team management already blundered by pulling out of the Nations Cup." Sadek said the Nations Cup withdrawal should be a lesson for FAM and the national team management.


The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Harimau Malaya to play friendlies against Singapore, Palestine
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian football team are set to play two international friendly matches in September. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed that the Harimau Malaya will host Singapore on Sept 4 and Palestine on Sept 8. Both matches will be staged in the nation's capital, giving supporters the opportunity to rally behind their team on home soil. "We're thrilled to have secured two quality fixtures," said national team chief executive officer Rob Friend. "It's a fantastic opportunity to play two exciting matches in front of our fans in Kuala Lumpur. "Singapore brings regional intensity and familiarity, while Palestine offers a different tactical challenge and a top 100 FIFA-ranked opponent. Both matches will provide valuable experience for our squad as we continue building this exciting project." Touching on Malaysia's withdrawal from the CAFA Nations Cup, Friend added: "While the withdrawal from CAFA was a calculated decision, we worked closely with them to help in finding a suitable replacement. "It was important for us to act with integrity and preserve the strong relationships we value within the global football community." Further details regarding kick-off times and ticketing for the two friendly matches will be announced later.