In the second friendly match in September, Malaysia (ranked 125th in the world) won 1-0 against Palestine (ranked 98th). The only goal was scored by striker Joao figueiredo. This was the third consecutive match in which this naturalized player scored for the Malaysian team.
Before that, Joao figueiredo scored a goal in the home team's 4-0 victory over Vietnam and 2-1 against Singapore.
Compared to the 2-1 victory over Singapore, the Malaysian team did not have the services of two naturalized stars, facundo Garces and Dion Cools in the match against Palestine.
Coach Peter Cklamovski has given the opportunity to play to 3 non-cingtized players, Shahrul Saad, Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar and Dominic Tan, to compete. They and Quentin Cheng had an excellent match, discouraging the Palestinian strikers.
Coach Peter Cklamovski emphasized that what he was most happy about was not only the results, but the Malaysian team showed that they were not too dependent on naturalized players.
With local players, Malaysia can also create a solid and effective defense, even when facing a stronger opponent like Palestine.
With 2 hard-fought victories against Singapore and Palestine, Malaysia will certainly improve their ranking after the FIFA Days in September 2025. More importantly, it helps Malaysia prepare best for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, which will continue in October.
In Group F, Malaysia is leading the group with 6 points, above Vietnam, Nepal and Laos. Malaysia's goal is to top the group to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup and they have many advantages to do so.
According to the schedule, the Malaysian team will have 2 matches against the Lao team in October. With superior strength and careful preparation, the Malaysian team is likely to defeat their opponents in both matches, to strengthen their position.
The impressive performance of the Malaysian team will put a lot of pressure on the Vietnamese team. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team also ended two friendly matches in September, with the result being a 0-4 loss to Nam Dinh and a 4-3 victory over Hanoi Police. In the upcoming 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnam team will play 2 matches against the Nepal team in October.
