PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian football team won’t expect easy meat when they take on Bangladesh in their FIFA Asean Cup opener at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta tomorrow.
The Bengal Tigers may be ranked a lowly 181st in the world but this current team bear little resemblance to sides of the past.
Under American coach Thomas Dooley, a former Bundesliga player, and boosted by several mixed-heritage players plying their trade in Europe, Bangladesh could prove a far tougher proposition than their ranking suggests.
Dooley is also no stranger to Malaysian football. He coached Pahang during the 2021 season and also had two spells in charge of the Philippines, in 2014 and 2018, during which he faced Malaysia several times in friendlies and AFF Cup fixtures.
National interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe is well aware of the threat Dooley’s side can pose to the Harimau Malaya, ranked world No. 136.
“He (Dooley) is certainly familiar with our playing style. However, our focus must remain sharp on the pitch. We know this Bangladesh team will be different as they have been training together for a while and playing well,” said Cheng Hoe.
Bangladesh’s European-based contingent include midfielder Hamzah Choudhaey (Sheffield United, England), defender Zidane Yousof (Walton and Hersham, England), winger Farhaan Ali Wahid (Boreham Wood, England), midfielder Fahamedul Islam (Olbia, Italy) and midfielder Shamit Shome (New York Cosmos, United States).
Captaining the side is Danish-born midfielder Jamal Bhutan, who has previously turned out for Hellerup IK, BK Avarta and Avedore IF in Denmark, as well as Argentina’s Sol de Mayo.
Malaysia last met Bangladesh four years ago, beating them 4-1 during 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur.
One of the goalscorers in that match, Dion Cools, remains part of the current squad, and the Cerezo Osaka defender is expected to be a key figure for Malaysia in this tournament.
After the Group A match with Bangladesh, Malaysia face hosts Indonesia on Sept 28. They close out the group stage against Singapore at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung on Oct 1.
