Harimau Malaya’s fine progess makes it a passable year for Malaysian football

Hotshot: Malaysia’s Arif Aiman Hanapi in action against Kyrgyzstan in their 2026 World Cup-2027 Asian Cup qualifier last month. The Harimau Malaya fought back from two goals down to win 4-3. Left: Coach Kim Pan-gon.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian football has certainly seen a significant improvement this year since the performance of the Harimau Malaya squad at international competitions has been impressive and the results have drawn a new lease of life for the local fans.

After suffering a heart-wrenching defeat at the semi-final stage of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup competition in Thailand early this year, the Harimau Malaya squad rebounded rather quickly to register four consecutive victories and two draws against higher-ranked opponents, starting with a 1-0 win over Turkmenistan and a 2-0 triumph over Hong Kong in Johor Baru in March.