PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will participate in the CAFA Nations Cup, a tournament featuring eight prominent national teams from Central Asia, including Iran and Uzbekistan, both of whom have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in September.
This was confirmed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in a statement on Monday (June 23).
The participation not only marks a significant honour for Harimau Malaya but also opens the door for greater ambitions on the international stage.
The tournament experience would be the best preparation before they take on Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers in October.
Besides Iran (world No. 18) and Uzbekistan (No. 57), the other teams competing in the tournament are Oman (No. 77), Kyrgyzstan (No.103), Tajikistan (No. 104) and Afghanistan (No. 160).
Malaysia under Australian coach Peter Cklamovski have impressed this year, especially in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers, where they have started their campaign unbeaten, beating Nepal 2-0 and Vietnam 4-0.
