Harimau Malaysia stands a chance of progressing far at the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup after it evaded the group of death.
Ong Kim Swee’s side was drawn in Group B with host nation Myanmar, Vietnam and a qualifier winner between Laos, Timor Leste, Cambodia and Brunei. Defending champions Thailand occupied Group A alongside the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.
However, Kim Swee is not ready to have early celebrations as he realizes that Myanmar and Vietnam can pose a threat of their own.
“I believe there are those who think that we got the easy draw but realistically speaking, it’s otherwise. Facing Vietnam and Myanmar has always been tough for us and we still have to respect the team from the qualifiers.
“Personally, I feel that Myanmar will be the favourites to top the group since their domestic league will end in three weeks, giving them more than two months to prepare for the tournament.
“Vietnam has also been consistent in Southeast Asia, so they too will be our main challenger,” he told Harian Metro.
The tournament will kick off on 19 November, before it culminates in the two-legged final on 14 and 17 December.
The national squad won their first and only championship at the 2010 edition, and they finished twice as 1st runner-up in 1996 and 2014.
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