KUALA LUMPUR – “It is not about the number of goals we score, it is imperative that Harimau Muda wins its next match,” said striker Fergus Tierney on the eve of their game against the Philippines in the second round of the 2024 Asia Cup Under-23 Qualifier in Chonburi, Thailand tomorrow.
National Under-23 head coach E. Elavarasan’s main focus is on winning the match to gain three full points which will be vital to boost the team’s chances of moving into the next stage
“We are now training to face the Philippines and will go for the full three points. I am not thinking about how many goals we are going to score, The ultimate is only to win.
“Whether it is 1-0 or 5-0 it is all the same to me. I believe in this team,” he said in an audio clip shared with the media by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today.
On Wednesday, the National U-23 squad took a step in the right direction by defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in the first match of the qualifying round.
Malaysia, drawn into Group H with Bangladesh, the Philippines and Thailand will face the host nation in the final group match on Sept 12 at the Chonburi Stadium.
Only the winner from each group and the top four best placed runners-up will qualify for the final round of the Asia Cup Under-23 tournament in 2024.
Malaysia’s first Asia Cup Under-23 debut was in 2018 in China and the squad advanced to the quarter-finals but in the 2022 edition held in Uzbekistan, the boys were shown the exit in the group stage.- Bernama
