KUALA LUMPUR — Will Harimau Malaya field a younger, fresher squad for this year’s AFF Mitsubishi Cup?
As regional rivals like Indonesia and Thailand prepare younger teams, predominantly under-22 players, Malaysia’s head coach Pau Marti Vicente appears inclined to adopt a similar approach for the AFF Cup.
Pau Marti, who replaced Kim Pan-gon as head coach in July, recently led Malaysia to victory at the Merdeka Cup with a squad averaging 25 years of age.
In the lead-up to the biennial tournament, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has arranged friendlies against Laos and India.
Harimau Malaya will face Laos at Bangkok’s Port Authority Stadium on November 14, followed by a match against India on November 19.
However, some fans have questioned the benefit of playing Laos, ranked 187th globally compared to Malaysia’s 133rd ranking, in terms of competitive preparation.
FAM technical director Scott O’Donell explained to Scoop that the friendlies are intended to allow Pau Marti to test both experienced players and those who haven’t yet debuted for the senior team.
“People need to understand that all friendlies are important; they allow the coach to experiment with new young players who haven’t had game time.
“I can’t comment further on what his final outcome will be or which team.
“But one thing is for sure: he’ll select the right players for the tournament after both friendlies,” said O’Donell when met at Wisma FAM today.
While Indonesia fielded the youngest team in AFF history in 2022, with an average age of 22, and finished as semi-finalists in the tournament, Malaysia has traditionally relied on its senior team since the tournament’s inception in 1996.
Harimau Malaya is grouped with defending champions Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam/Timor Leste in Group A for the 15th edition of the AFF tournament, scheduled for December 9 to January 5 across various host nations.
Group B features Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.
For the record, Malaysia last claimed the AFF Cup title in 2010 under then-head coach Datuk K. Rajagopal. — November 4, 2024