SEPANG, JULY 30 — Harimau Malaya interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe admitted that the draw for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia from Sept 24 to Oct 3 has put Malaysia on a difficult path.
He said Malaysia would face stiff competition as the teams in Group A of Division 1, namely Indonesia, Singapore and India, had their own strengths.
“Host Indonesia is seen as the preferred team among the main contenders to win the title.
“We also cannot underestimate Singapore, which is currently preparing for the Asian Cup, and India is also in this group,” he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today.
The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is the inaugural tournament organised under the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) calendar, thus offering an opportunity for each team to accumulate world ranking points.
Group B consists of Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines.
As for the competition format, there will be no semi-final action.
The winner of each group will advance to the final match while the runner-up of the group will play for third place.
The Division 1 Champion will take home a generous prize of USD1,000,000.
— BERNAMA
