PETALING JAYA: Oman’s football team coach Jaroslav Silhavy believes he has the necessary knowledge and information about Malaysia to topple them in their return fixture of the World Cup 2026-Asian Cup 2027 second-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
The Czech said he has watched the Harimau Malaya in action many times, but that familiarity isn’t breeding any contempt in him.
Silhavy has much respect for Malaysia and he’s also aware that his counterpart Kim Pan-gon has done his analysis of the Omanis to make the match tough for them.
“It may be my first time coaching a nation in this region and also playing in Kuala Lumpur, but I’ve seen Malaysia play many times. In recent years, they’ve made good progress in the world rankings,’’ said Silhavy, who coached the Czech Republic from 2018 to 2023.
“After our 2-0 win in Muscat, we now know them even better. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t respect them. I’m sure the Malaysia coach (Kim Pan-gon) also knows a lot about us too to give us problems in the return match.
‘’With that, I expect a feisty match.’’
He added that with a strong home crowd cheering Malaysia on, Oman will have a battle on their hands.
“The home fans can push the team to new heights. We will surely miss our supporters because they were our 12th man in the previous match.”
Silhavy also expressed his concerns over the National Stadium’s pitch condition, as his team were not allowed to train there ahead of today’s match.
“We’re not aware of the pitch condition as we were not allowed to train on it. But then again, the Malaysian team also were not allowed to train there ahead of the match,’’ he said.
‘’Based on some reports, the weather here now is erratic. So when it rains, I’m sure the field will be affected and it will not be good for the game.”
