Latest news with #HarimauMalaya
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- 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
16 hours ago
- Sport
- 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
19 hours ago
- Sport
- 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.
New Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Enough is enough, Cklamovski wants to move on
KUALA LUMPUR: Peter Cklamovski had wanted to move on, but the issue just refused to die down, much to the chagrin of the national football team head coach. And Cklamovski is not amused with another round of claims that Malaysia were facing a FIFA ban over alleged misuse of naturalised heritage players. Cklamovski admitted at a press conference today that he's getting tired over the matter. It all started when Harimau Malaya fielded five new heritage players: Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Facundo Garces in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in an Asia Cup qualifier in Bukit Jalil on June 10. This led to allegations of illegal naturalisation by the FA of Malaysia (FAM), and Cklamovski refuted it numerous times. He said the win over Vietnam should fill Malaysian fans with pride and get all to stand behind the national team. But yet the heritage players issue continues to ignite debate. The 46-year-old Australian said: "I'm getting tired of it, to be honest. It's been weeks since the Vietnam game, but the talks over the players have never stopped. I have moved on from the match and am looking forward to our upcoming matches. "We had the documentation issued by the Malaysian government and FIFA giving the clearance before the Vietnam match. I don't know what more can be done to prove the legitimacy of the players. "Machuca missed his son's birth to play for the national team and Holgado took a long flight and went back almost immediately after the match to return to his club... I don't know how much more these players can show that they want to play for Malaysia. "Indonesia had been naturalising players before us and I have read that Vietnam had amended their law to allow naturalisation. "The national players are playing for Malaysia, no matter where they are from and they need the support from Malaysians." Cklamovski added that Malaysia will play friendlies against Singapore and Palestine on Sept 4 and Sept 8 in Kuala Lumpur respectively. However, fans have questioned FAM over Malaysia's withdrawal (due to logistical and player availability issues) from the Central Asian Football Association Nations Cup from Aug 29-Sept 8. "We will be playing two quality opponents in September, it will be a derby match against Singapore and another tough match against a top 100 side Palestine," said Cklamovski. "There's plenty of rivalry between Malaysia and Singapore so it will be a good test for the players, and Palestine have qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup and had a good run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. "These two matches will be a good test for the team before we face Laos in our Asia Cup qualifier in October. We hope to get the best players to join the training camp," said Cklamovski.
The Star
a day ago
- Sport
- The Star
Dion makes a statement on and off pitch with his own jersey design
Celebration of legacy: Dion Cools in action in his adidas kit which has patterns inspired by his birthplace Sarawak. PETALING JAYA: Whether donning the national colours of Malaysia, the pink of Cerezo Osaka kit, or now his very own adidas kit – Dion Cools' mission remains unchanged and that is to represent with pride and inspire through performance. Yesterday, the rightback became the first Malaysian and South-East Asian footballer to launch his own limited-edition jersey in collaboration with global sportswear giant adidas. The unveiling at the adidas outlet in Sunway Pyramid was not just a fashion moment but it was a celebration of legacy. 'Football has given me an incredible platform to represent where I come from and what I stand for,' said Cools, who was born in Kuching before moving to Belgium, where his football journey took flight. 'This jersey is special to me because it includes patterns inspired by my birthplace, Sarawak. It's a proud moment.' The No. 21, emblazoned on the back, adds a personal touch, Cools' preferred number since his early professional days in Europe. Cools currently plays in Japan's top-tier J1 League with Cerezo Osaka and continues to be a key figure for Harimau Malaya on the international stage. Eligible to represent both countries, he chose the Malaysian badge and has been a regular fixture in the Malaysian national setup since 2021. Meanwhile, Cools has left it up to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and team management to decide on Harimau Malaya's involvement in any friendly matches this September. He said the national squad still had room to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for in October. This follows Harimau Malaya's withdrawal from the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup in Tajikistan from Aug 29-Sept 8. 'I think it's bad news (withdrawing from the 2025 CAFA Cup), but at the same time the management have done its best. We have work to do for the Asian Cup qualifiers, and I think that's the most important thing for us. Previously, FAM had announced that Harimau Malaya's withdrawal was due to a change in match dates, with fixtures now starting outside the official international window set by FIFA, making it challenging for the national team, as clubs are not obliged to release their players.
