PETALING JAYA: Some sceptics of the national football team have raised concerns that the Harimau Malaya could lack bite when they take on Nepal in their 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on March 25.
They believe that the lack of matches to prepare for the tie could have an effect on Peter Cklamovski’s side while the Nepalese have a friendly against Singapore on March 21 as a tune-up.
Sharpshooter: Sabah’s Stuart Wilkin (left) celebrating with a teammate after scoring against Putrajaya Athletic in a Malaysia Cup match. — Bernama
But midfielder Stuart Wilkin isn’t losing any sleep over such talk.
The 26-year-old Sabah playmaker believes the intensity of Cklamovski’s training sessions will be enough to prepare them for a good result against Nepal.
“The level of training we’ve been doing is of very high intensity and we believe it will prepare us well for the match,’’ he said.
‘’We’ll also be watching Nepal when they play Singapore in a friendly to help our tactical preparations.’’
Stuart is no stranger to the Nepal team, as he featured in Malaysia’s 5-1 win over them in a friendly last year.
He, however, will not use that result as an indicator of the current team’s strength.
‘’It’ll be a big mistake for us to underestimate them in a competitive match. We will be confident but not over-confident.’’
