KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim congratulated the Harimau Malaya squad for giving South Korea a run for their money in their last Group E match of the 2023 Asian Cup at the Al Janoub Stadium, Qatar today.

Through a brief post on X, Anwar thanked the national football team on behalf of all Malaysians and urged the squad to continue to strive and not give up.

Malaysia came close to defeating the two-time champion before settling for a 3-3 draw in the match. Following this result, South Korea remains in second position in Group E with five points, while Malaysia gains one point.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh described the result as "the biggest gift” to Harimau Malaya fans.

"Harimau Malaya stamped our mark on the Asian stage. We will be back in the next Asian Cup! This draw against Korea is the biggest gift to Harimau Malaya fans in Qatar and all across Malaysia.

"When we put our heart and soul into everything we do, the world will notice. #RoadToGold... Mr Kim Pan Gon- you rock! Datuk Hamidin of FAM (Football Association of Malaysia) - Congratulations FAM,” she said in a post on her official Facebook tonight. — Bernama