KUALA LUMPUR – National football head coach Peter Cklamovski has set higher expectations for Harimau Malaya compared to his predecessors by advocating for their participation in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup, according to national football icon Datuk Dollah Salleh.
Dollah’s comments came after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced on Monday that Harimau Malaya will take part in the tournament, which is set for September, with specific dates to be revealed soon.
It has been reported that Cklamovski requested to enter the tournament to compete against higher-ranked teams that have qualified for the World Cup, rather than facing teams of a similar caliber or those from the ASEAN region.
It is understood that this experience is also anticipated to provide valuable match preparation for Cklamovski’s team ahead of the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in October.
Speaking to Scoop, Dollah, who serves as a vice-president of FAM, said that the choice to take part in the CAFA Nations Cup indicates that the national team is making progress, adding that competing against tougher opponents will ultimately be advantageous for Harimau Malaya.
“I really admire Cklamovski for his courage and determination to ask for what he wants from FAM, especially compared to his predecessors who chose to stay in their comfort zones.
“It’s evident that Cklamovski has a clear goal in mind, and by pushing for participation in the CAFA Nations Cup, he demonstrates his desire for his team to compete at a higher level of football.
“In the past, we often faced teams ranked between 100 and 150. Now, we have the opportunity to challenge ourselves against teams that have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. This is a positive step, even if some critics may not recognise it.
“Our quality was evident in our recent match against Vietnam during the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Participating in this tournament will only help us improve and grow stronger in the future,” Dollah said when reached for comment.
The CAFA Nations Cup was established in 2023 as a biennial international men’s football tournament organised by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA).
The first edition took place from June 10 to 20, 2023, co-hosted by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with Iran winning the championship. Oman was the only nation outside of CAFA to be invited to participate in this inaugural tournament.
This year’s competition will include teams such as Iran (ranked 18th in the world), Uzbekistan (57th), Oman (77th), Kyrgyzstan (103rd), Tajikistan (104th), Afghanistan (160th), and Malaysia (131st), which is the only invited non-CAFA country.
Notably, both Iran and Uzbekistan have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, former national player Datuk Jamal Nasir said that taking part in the CAFA Nations Cup is a great chance for Malaysian players to improve their physical and tactical skills.
“When playing against teams ranked lower or only slightly higher, he feels the players don’t develop as much.
“I believe that competing against teams like Iran and Uzbekistan provides valuable learning opportunities, especially in enhancing physicality and tactical skills, as these countries have consistent World Cup experience.
He also praised Cklamovski for moving away from the usual matches against Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, emphasising that to improve, the team needs to challenge itself against stronger opponents.
Jamal acknowledged that while people might expect the team to win the tournament, the true benefit lies in the experience the players will gain. – June 24, 2025