KUALA LUMPUR, 29 OCT – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) explained that the selection of Laos in the Tier One international friendly against the Harimau Malaya squad next month is due to the difficulty of arranging matches with the 18 best teams from Asia.
FAM Secretary General, Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said the decision was made by the governing body of the sport after all the teams had their respective schedules until next year.
“We should know that the 18 best teams from Asia already have their respective schedules until next year, which is to face the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
“Pau Marti as the head coach also decided not to organize a friendly match against four teams from Southeast Asia namely Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Timor Leste because they are in a group with us in the 2024 ASEAN Cup this December,” according to a statement released today.
The same thing happened in the recent action against New Zealand when Pau Marti decided the opposing team for Harimau Malaya for friendly action in October and November.
“Pau Marti himself wants to play against a club (Auckland FC) in October. This is because he wants to get a match against a national team that is ranked higher and competitive.
“But there was no suitable national team at that time. At the same time, Pau Marti will also decide which team will be sent to play in the ASEAN Cup later. This match against Laos and India is his last preparation in preparing the team for the tournament,” he said. – Named
