KUALA LUMPUR — An injury-free squad is top of the wishlist for national head coach Peter Cklamovski as Malaysia prepare to face Vietnam in a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier this June.
With the Super League season concluded and the Malaysia Cup final still to be played, Cklamovski admitted player fitness remains a key concern as he begins assembling his squad.
“Injuries and match fitness are major concerns right now,” he said. “Some of our core players will be involved in the Cup final, and I’m hoping we avoid any setbacks.”
Malaysia will be aiming to end a five-match losing streak against Vietnam, who handed them a 3–0 defeat in their last encounter at the 2022 Asean Cup.
Cklamovski acknowledged the challenge posed by the world No. 109 side, but remained confident in his team’s potential.
“I’m aware that it won’t be easy for us to beat Vietnam, given the strength of their squad,” he told reporters at the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Hari Raya open house today.
“But it’s not beyond our capability. We will give everything to make it happen.”
The Harimau Malaya squad will report for centralised training on May 16, with the Australian viewing the camp as a critical period for the team to recover from a long season and prepare tactically.
“We’ll go into camp fully focused, highly motivated, and determined to make Malaysians proud again through our style of play and tireless effort to secure a positive result.
“It’s vital that we prepare properly because the players will be coming off a break during the off-season. They’ll have time to refresh themselves and, after that, we’ll enter camp, organise our strategies thoroughly, and be fully ready to face a tough team,” he added.
To help build match sharpness, Cklamovski said efforts are being made to organise one or two home friendlies ahead of the qualifier.
FAM president Datuk Joehari Mohd Ayub confirmed discussions are ongoing with several higher-ranked teams to provide the national side with valuable pre-match exposure.
“We’re currently in discussions with several teams, but we can’t disclose their names yet as nothing has been confirmed. The teams we are targeting are definitely higher-ranked.
“If those don’t work out, we’ll consider teams slightly below us in the rankings.”
Malaysia currently sit second in Group F after one match, level on three points with leaders Vietnam. Nepal and Laos are yet to register a point. — April 23, 2025