KUALA LUMPUR – Bukit Jalil National Stadium will play host to Malaysia’s opening 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Kyrgyzstan.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed the news today in a statement, saying that the Harimau Malaya squad will commence their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against the 97th-ranked Kyrgyzstan on November 16 at the arena.
FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said the decision to hold the match at the national stadium was made after a thorough evaluation of the pitch’s condition with the Malaysia Stadium Corporation and its stakeholders.
“Malaysia Stadium Corp, with input from its technical consultants and contractors, as well as our stakeholders, has assured that the pitch is now in better condition compared to last month’s Pestabola Merdeka tournament, and it is ready for the opening fixture against Kyrgyzstan.
“The decision to keep the match at the national stadium also considers other factors, especially to facilitate more Harimau Malaya supporters attending and showing their support.
“Furthermore, even our national head coach Kim Pan-gon has agreed to have the match at the national stadium,” he said.
Noor Azman further assured that all necessary preparations for the match are well underway, guaranteeing a seamless event.
Malaysia is grouped with Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman in Group D for the qualifiers. – November 4, 2023