KUALA LUMPUR: Former national striker Safee Sali (pix) advises the Harimau Malaya squad to stay focused and not be disturbed by netizen provocations on social media as they embark on the 2023 Asian Cup campaign, set to kick off in Doha, Qatar, tomorrow.
On a personal note, he believes that the social media spotlight from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), often showcasing Malaysia’s squad, especially young star Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, should serve as a morale booster for the national players.
“…with the highlights (media coverage) given, I hope it can be a morale booster for the team and players to be more confident in their abilities. I hope they will go far and not be disturbed by any provocations from social media.
“He (Arif Aiman) is a young player who will shine in this campaign. I admit that. I hope we can go far,“ he said during the eFootball 2024 media session here today.
Commenting on the first match of the Kim Pan Gon-coached squad against Jordan on Jan 15 (Monday), Safee expressed his hope that the Harimau Malaya could maintain their focus throughout the 90 minutes of the match.
“Let’s hope we stay focused game after game, starting with the first match against Jordan. We have to give our best because will be playing only one game and it is not reciprocal, so in each game, we have to do our best in the 90 minutes (match time) to collect the points, maximum points,“ he said.
He also hoped that the national squad (ranked 130th) could start well in their first match, especially after recording a 2-2 draw against 91st-ranked team Syria in a friendly match on Tuesday.
Malaysia, who ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit, will kick off their Group E campaign against Jordan on Jan 15, followed by Bahrain (Jan 20), and two-time champions South Korea on Jan 25.
Only the group champions and runners-up, along with the four best third-placed teams, will qualify for the Round of 16 in the tournament in Doha.
This marks Malaysia’s fourth appearance in the Asian Cup after qualifying on merit in 1976 in Iran, 1980 in Kuwait, and as co-hosts in 2007.
Malaysia have never advanced to the Round of 16 in the Asian Cup in the three previous editions.
Follow the latest news and information on the 2023 Asian Cup at asiancup.bernama.com. –Bernama
