KUALA LUMPUR – The Merdeka Tournament final against Tajikistan on Tuesday (October 17) is a vital part of the national football team’s preparation for next month’s 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
That is the view of winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, who added that even yesterday’s 4-2 upset win over India was a good start to making the Merdeka Tournament a platform to gear up for more tense battles in the qualifiers.
“Alhamdulillah, we got a very important win tonight (yesterday)… this is in preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers. Everything is going well,” he said after the match against India at Bukit Jalil National Staidum last night.
Against India, Harimau Malaya, ranked 134 in the world, produced an energetic performance to stun India (ranked 102) 4-2.
The 25-year-old said that if they are to achieve their dream of winning the Merdeka Tournament, they must continue to improve their performance, especially in defence.
Meanwhile, Harimau Malaya skipper Matthew Davies also admitted that the team’s defensive frailties resulted in India managing to score twice.
“At times, we pressed really high up the field… sometimes it worked and we did steal a goal. But then, we conceded because we took that big risk. That is a risk we take when we play football,” he said. – October 14, 2023