PETALING JAYA: After years of late-night viewings resulting in groggy-eyed mornings, football fans in Malaysia are finally getting a World Cup that is better aligned with their schedule.
Many of the group stage matches are set to be played in venues that are between 12 and 15 hours behind Malaysia, or during “breakfast hours” here.
Local fans say they are looking forward to watching the games while enjoying their breakfast.
“It’s a whole new experience. Previous editions of the World Cup featured games played late at night or in the early morning hours.
“Now, we get to watch the games while having breakfast at the mamak instead,” said training provider Mandeep Singh, 30.
He is also excited about watching some games at late-night eateries together with his family and friends on weekends.
“We may watch the knockout games at home – it all depends on who’s playing. But we are especially looking forward to the match timetables, produced by newspapers like The Star, so that we can keep track of things,” said Mandeep, who is rooting for Portugal.
More than 60 matches of the total 104 that will be played during the World Cup will take place between 3am and 10am Malaysian time.
Brazil fan TC Gooi, 33, is also happy about the morning games.
“With games lined up from 3am to around noon, it’s really exciting. We’re all accustomed to late-night games, so the current fixtures are a nice reprieve,” he said.
Gooi has also made plans to watch Brazil’s opening game against Morocco at 6am this Sunday.
“We’ll go to our usual mamak first and may explore other venues later in the tournament,” said the sales manager.
Meanwhile, Jeyakumar Anandaraju, 30, will watch the games at home instead.
“It’s more comfortable and convenient. We can also watch at our leisure instead of competing for seats,” said Jeyakumar, who subscribed to the Unifi TV package to watch the World Cup.
He also plans to watch the games with his father.
However, Jeyakumar is keeping his options open for big match-ups during the knockout stages.
“It’s really hard to beat the atmosphere at late-night eateries, especially those that also hold lucky draws, games and more,” he said.
For Muhaimin Abdullah, 36, there is still some undecidedness over where to watch the tournament.
“There are so many different options and I’m still trying to figure out which is the most convenient. If all else fails, I’ll probably just head to the nearby mamak and watch the games I’m interested in,” he said.
Food and beverage operators have also adjusted their operation schedules to accommodate football fans patronising their outlets.
SOULed OUT group marketing head Denice Chen said buffet breakfast packages, comprising hot foods, an egg station, cereals, bread and coffee, will be offered at selected premises.
“This allows fans to grab a quick bite while watching the game before carrying on with their day.
“We may also extend our pizza section for games in the wee hours of the morning, alongside curry puffs and fried chicken,” she said, adding that a finger food platter specially designed for the World Cup season will be served during normal operation hours.
Chen acknowledged that the current match timings for the World Cup have posed some challenges, noting that there will be some manpower schedule adjustments to accommodate longer working hours.
“We are concerned about staff welfare during this period, so measures have been taken to ensure everyone gets enough rest,” she said.
