Osmera wants his boys to hit the ground running at U-17 Asian Cup

Ready to play: Osmera (left) shaking hands with Yemen coach Hasan Ali Al-Baadani.

PETALING JAYA: A win in the first game of any tournament is always a confidence booster and that is what Malaysia coach Osmera Omaro is expecting from his charges in their AFC Under-17 Asian Cup Group A opener at the Thammasat Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, tomorrow.

In their sixth outing in the tournament, Malaysia are hopeful of reaching the knockout stage and beating Yemen in their first game will stand them in good stead for the other two against Thailand (June 18) and Laos (June 21).

Osmera wants his boys to show that they mean business by getting a convincing win in the first game.

“An opening win will give us the confidence, and we’ll get stronger before the following games. The boys are motivated and eager to get going,’’ he said.

The top two teams from the group will qualify for the knockout stages.

The quarter-finals will be held on June 25 and 26, followed by the semi-finals (June 29) and final (July 2).

The semi-finalists will earn the right to compete in the Under-17 World Cup in November.