KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must take their game up a notch or face another heartbreak when they take on Bahrain in their second Group E match of the 2023 Asian Cup at the Jassim Bin Hammad Stadium in Qatar today. Local football observer Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli admitted that Bahrain seem to have a slight advantage over the Harimau Malaya.
In the opening Group E games on Monday (Jan 15), Malaysia were trounced 4-0 by Jordan while Bahrain fell 3-1 to two-time champions South Korea.
“Although Bahrain lost, their players managed to go toe-to-toe with South Korea the other day, so that’s what’s worrying me. If we play like we did against Jordan, then it will be difficult for us to overcome Bahrain. “Our team must come up with something more against Bahrain. Although our head-to-head record favours Bahrain, we must not give up as anything is possible. Hopefully, our players can conjure up a miracle,” he told Bernama.
Malaysia have lost three times to Bahrain since 2013, with the latest being a 2-1 defeat in the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur in 2022. Coach Juan Antonio Pizzi’s Bahrain are ranked 86th in the world while Malaysia are ranked 130th.
Pekan also hopes that Harimau Malaya head coach Kim Pan Gon will revert to the 4-3-3 formation against Bahrain, nicknamed Dilmun’s Warriors, instead of sticking with the 3-4-3 used against Jordan. He said the Harimau Malaya players are used to the 4-3-3 formation often used by Pan Gon, with Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi and Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim given the freedom to wreak havoc on the wings and ably assisted by either Darren Lok, Romel Morales or Paulo Josue through the centre. “However, it’s all up to the coach because whatever formation or strategy he uses will depend on who they will be up against,” he said. After taking on Bahrain, the Harimau Malaya outfit will end their group campaign against South Korea on Jan 25. Get the latest news and information on the 2023 Asian Cup at asiancup.bernama.com. – BERNAMA
