PETALING JAYA, May 1 — Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin is confident that the national Under-22 (U-22) football squad can strike gold at the 2023 South East Asian (SEA) Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

He said the high fighting spirit displayed by the squad and the fact that every team had an equal shot at the gold would carry the squad all the way to glory, even though they have been drawn into the "group of death”.

"Seeing how we lost to Vietnam (0-1 in the semi-finals) at the last SEA Games in Hanoi during injury time, I would say we have an equal chance at winning.

"If our players are at a high level or prepared in all aspects — fitness, committed — I feel we can repeat our achievement in Jakarta 2011 and win the gold. It’s not impossible and they need to focus and be ready to give their all,” he told reporters after attending the 2023 Sportswriters Association of Malaysia’s (SAM) Aidilfitri Open House at Seri Selangor Golf Club today.

He also expressed his hope that the team would not dwell on their rivals but do their best in each match.

Malaysia, which will be departing for Cambodia tomorrow, have been drawn into Group B and is scheduled to take on Laos (May 3), Thailand (May 6), Vietnam (May 8) and Singapore (May 11). — Bernama