One Point Against Indonesia a Positive Start for National U-19 Squad

KUALA LUMPUR: One point from a goalless draw against Indonesia is a start that can boost confidence for the national Under-19 (U-19) squad in their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals.

Malaysia held Indonesia to a goalless draw in their first Group H match at the National Stadium KM16, Vientiane, Laos, yesterday to collect one point in the qualifying campaign.

National U-19 head coach Shukor Adan views the result as an opportunity for his players to build momentum, especially after the team had only a short preparation period before starting the campaign.

“We had a short preparation period. Most of the players only arrived and joined the team this week because some of them were involved in several tournaments in Malaysia.

“For me, the players are now ready to seize this opportunity and improve their performances with the national team,” he said.

Thus, Shukor wants his players not to be content with just the one point earned, but instead to use the experience from the opening match to improve their performance in the next games.

The draw with Indonesia certainly gives Malaysia a more positive start after failing to qualify for the 2025 edition finals held in China.

In that qualifying campaign, Malaysia finished fourth in Tajikistan after collecting five points from five matches.

The last time the national squad qualified for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals was in the 2020 edition in Uzbekistan, but the tournament was cancelled following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malaysia now hopes that the one point earned from the opening match can serve as a catalyst for a more positive campaign as the mission to qualify for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals continues.

The national squad’s best achievement in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup is finishing as runners-up three times, in the 1959, 1960 and 1968 editions.

Berita Harian