PETALING JAYA: The Harimau Malaya team left for Thailand yesterday to ‘warm up’ ahead of their final AFC Asian Cup 2027 third-round Group F qualifier against Vietnam in Nam Dinh.
They will be based in Bangkok for five days training at the BG Pathum United facilities in Pathum Thani, before departing for Hanoi on Saturday.
Why spend five days in Bangkok when they could have saved the money by training at home?
After all, the match against Vietnam will not make any difference for the team as they are already out of running for the Asian Cup following the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s decision to deduct six points for fielding ineligible players.
National coach Peter clarified that the Thailand training camp had been arranged months earlier and was unrelated to recent developments.
“The decision was made three months ago.
“It’s based on the lack of suitable facilities available to us locally,” said the Australian.
“In Thailand, we’ll have access to quality pitches and excellent facilities.
“It aligns with our standards as a national team and fits within our budget. This is not overspending,” he said.
Cklamovski also confirmed there would be no friendly matches during the Bangkok training stint.
“We’ll use the days in Thailand to build our game and get our rhythm going.
“We travel to Vietnam on Saturday, arrive two days before the match, and prepare for what will be a tough away game.
“We’re ready for the challenge. It’s been a long time since Malaysia beat Vietnam on their home ground, but that’s the opportunity in front of us.”
