Merdeka Cup Rival Watch: India's opponents Malaysia

Malaysia have won the Merdeka Cup seven times!

The Indian football team will be back in action during the October international break when they meet Malaysia in the Merdeka Cup. This will mark their participation in the tournament for the first time since 2001. Moreover, the Blue Tigers have finished as the runners-up of this competition twice (1959, 1964) in their history.

The Merdeka Cup, once labeled as the ‘Great Old Lady of Asia’ is one of the oldest competitions in the continent. For India, it’ll be an impressive achievement to add this title to their trophy cabinet. However, for Igor Stimac, this will be treated more like a preparatory tournament ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in January.

The Blue Tigers are set to face hosts Malaysia in the semi-finals of the tournament. Despite being the lowest-ranked team (132) in the Merdeka Cup, Malaysia will play with a home advantage and a lot of spirit behind them. They’ll be intent on producing an impressive performance in front of their fans. In this article, we will look into what can be expected from the Hiramau Malaya.

About the Team

The Malaysian national team has played competitive football since the 1960s, even though the Merdeka Cup has been held since 1957. The Malaysian team has achieved relative amount of success during their history, participating in the AFC Asian Cup four times.

They have never moved past the group stages of the Asian Cup, but will aim to do so this time around in Qatar. Hiramau Malaya have been champions of the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Championship once and won the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games three times.

Apart from that, Malaysia have won the Merdeka Cup seven times and the Kings Cup four times in their history. However, the last time they won the Merdeka Cup was way back in 1993 – a wait they'll hope to end this time around.

Recent Performances

The Malaysian football team has been quite proactive during 2023 and participated in nine matches – which includes friendlies and their participation in the AFF Championship. They progressed to the semi-finals of the AFF Championship, winning two games before losing to Thailand.

They have won six of their nine games in 2023, including a huge 10-0 win over Papua New Guinea back in June. The Hiramau Malaya drew both their matches in September against China and Syria, but will aim to end their winless run against India on Friday.

The Coach

South Korean coach Kim Pan-gon has been in charge of the Malaysian national team since early 2022 and has done an admirable job in helping them climb the FIFA rankings and win a lot of games during his tenure. A former player for Korean giants Ulsan Hyundai FC, the 54-year-old helped Malaysia qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in style last year.

Kim has been enjoying his coaching career since 2022 and has also been a former manager for the Hong Kong national team. In 23 matches as Malaysia's manager, he has helped them win 15 games and lose just four times over the last 20+ months.

Kim likes to line up his side in a basic 4-2-3-1 formation, but urges them to take the fight to the opposition with an attacking style. Malaysia have been clinical and quick in their attacking moves under him and really dangerous on the transitions. He has helped the players realize their potential at the international level and taken Malaysian football forward in his short time at the helm.

Players to Watch

Paulo Josue

Malaysia’s influential No.10 Paulo Josue has been an important player under the South Korean manager. The Kuala Lumpur City star might be Brazilian-born, but is playing for the national team after obtaining their passport earlier this year. Josue is a menacing attacking midfielder, who loves to move the ball around forward.

He’s innovative and dangerous, knowing exactly how to find his teammates in key areas and is also a clinical goal-scorer, being able to finish off chances efficiently. The 34-year-old had 14 goal contributions for Kuala Lumpur City last season and has scored four goals in six appearances for Malaysia already – thriving in the freedom under the current setup.

Safawi Rasid

The Malaysia national team captain has been one of their most consistent players since making a debut for the senior team in 2016. The 26-year-old has scored 20 goals in 54 appearances for Malayis and is a menacing threat in their attack. The winger is a menace with his dangerous movement and impressive speed.

More than anything else, he definitely has a feisty eye for the goal and is capable of scoring some impressive goals out of nowhere. Rasid loves to lead from the front by taking on defenders and poses danger with his exciting style. He'll aim to do that against India too!

Faisal Halim

Faisal Halim might be a bit of an outspoken individual who has been suspended in the past for his controversial comments, but remains a key part of the Malaysian side. The winger is quite creative with his work, being able to set up big chances with his clever delivery.

He also has that goal-scoring threat in his game, being able to dance into dangerous areas through the wings and often finding himself in goal-scoring areas. Halim’s unpredictable style makes it difficult for defenders to read his game and he’ll aim to light things up for his side at the Merdeka Cup.

What to Expect

The Malaysian national team has seen major improvement since the arrival of Kim Pan-gon and will be aiming to take the fight to any side they face at home. They’re unlikely to be scared of India because of how they have their passionate supporters to fuel them with energy in this upcoming clash.

Malaysia will be desperate to end their barren run at the Merdeka Cup this season and will definitely take the fight to India. They’ll play an attacking style and trouble India with their constant forward movement, with the Blue Tigers needing to be especially wary of their threat in the upcoming clash.