Malaysia will be pinning their hopes on their Harimau Muda side to claim a top-four finish in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Under-19 Championship, which begins in Vientiane, Laos, tomorrow.
Harimau Muda have never won the competition before, with only a 2009 semi-final appearance proving to be their best show so far.
Coach Hassan Sazali Mohamed Waras also admitted his team’s priority will be the semi-finals.
“We played for 11 weeks in Slovakia, winning 15 out of 17 matches. I believe we are well prepared for the tournament. The exposure has surely done well for my player’s confidence, and I expect them to keep up their good form,” said Hassan to New Straits Times.
The national squad will begin their Group B campaign against Timor Lester on Sunday. Singapore, Vietnam and Myanmar are the other teams in the group.
Thailand, Australia, Cambodia, Brunei, the Philippines and Laos make up Group A.
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