Last 16 within Harimau Malaya’s grasp in Asian Cup

 

Harimau Malaya, seems to have wandered into virtually unchartered territory, a part of the woods it has not been in since 1980.

That tiger has evolved over four decades into a new-fanged breed with diverse stripes, a new appearance, and a robust physicality that has made it ostensibly a more ferocious hunter.

But lest we get ahead of ourselves and heap praises on the Kim Pan-gon-led national football team that qualified on merit to get to the Qatar Asian Cup 2023 finals, it is first imperative to put things in perspective.

The fact that Malaysia is in Doha on merit is not an indication by any measure that Malaysian football, that once wandered aimlessly in the desert for more than 40 years, has finally arrived.

Kim Pan-gon.

On the contrary, if anything, all that Kim managed to do, with due credit to him, was to have got Malaysian football close to the fringes of its glory days in the 70s.

But this journey has only just begun.

For, the old Harimau Malaya, that was of Malay, Chinese, and Indian ancestries, had competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics, won bronze in the 1974 Teheran Asian Games, and qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics only to be denied participation by a political boycott by Malaysia.

Still, with only three Asian teams in Munich (Iran and Myanmar being the other two) and in Moscow (Iran and Kuwait), technically, Malaysia was among the top three teams in Asia until 1980.

So, it would seem that the bar will have to be raised for Kim and his stronger, faster and bigger Harimau Malaya, comprising naturalised and heritage players, and a sprinkle or two of Malays.

Getting to Doha is just the start, perceived even as a false summer. But getting to the last 16 and beyond, is what is expected of this new and improved species.

Football, along with its technical nuances, has also evolved into a physical game, with its furious pace, power and endurance making success accessible mainly to teams with players built for it. And this Malaysian side is certainly equipped to meet its demands.

But football, it is also often said, is a cruel game. And just like there is a method in some madness, cruelty in football has its own inimitability, claiming just as many beneficiaries as it has victims.

The victims, as the lack of good fortune would have it, are always the favourites, the teams with the big reputations that are predicted by pundits to breeze past their inferior opponents because of their strength on paper.

But if that is the only factor that decides the outcome of matches, then Malaysia might as well pack up and head back for home, because, on paper, all three of their opponents in Group E – Jordan, Bahrain and South Korea – are superior to Malaysia.

Fortunately for the underdogs, there is more that goes into a match than tactical or technical superiority.

A cross turned into the back of his own net by a defender, a harmless shot deflected past the keeper, a careless back pass, an unlucky handball in the box, a well-crafted penalty attempt, shots that come of the woodwork, and that dreaded sucker punch that comes against the run of play, have often punished the favourites and rewarded the underdogs.

This is what football is about – the skills, the passion, the tactics, the human element, the cruelty, bad refereeing decisions, bad luck – making it unpredictable, and near impossible to script.

All of which augurs well for this Malaysian side. Though outranked by its Group E opponents Jordan (87), Bahrain (86), and South Korea (23), Harimau Malaya has been unquestionably performing well above their 130 FIFA ranking.

Perhaps with the exception of South Korea who are in Doha with strong European football DNA, powered by highly acclaimed and lethal strikers in skipper Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), playmaker Lee Kang-in (Paris St Germain), and outstanding defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich).

Malaysia will have a fighting chance against Jordan, and Bahrain.

Arif Aiman Hanapi. (Bernama pic)

Speaking of which, the footballing aspect aside, I believe the strongest asset of this Malaysian side, is their ferocious fighting spirit, that has often rescued them from the brink of defeat. This asset was visibly missing in the previous species of Harimau Malaya.

Which is why, I see hope in this Harimau Malaya making it past the first round this time around. It is a hope that is built on its composition, a fire in the belly, and a will to extend its horizons. With Doha hunted down, the last 16 awaits.

What also awaits is the Asian stage to launch lucrative international careers for talents sought by football scouts for the European leagues.

And this opportunity could present itself to Malaysia’s own Arif Aiman Hanapi, that 22-year-old exciting talent who blazes the right flank, and mesmerises defenders with his silky skills.

It has always been a Malaysian dream to see a Malaysian in the highly-competitive and successful English Premier League. Perhaps that dream, and more, could see its beginnings in the sand-swept landscapes of Qatar. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.