KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — National head coach Tan Cheng Hoe reckons it won’t be easy for Malaysia in the second round of the 2022 World Cup/Asian Cup 2023 qualifier but is cautiously optimistic that Harimau Malaya can make it to the next round.

Having been drawn into Group G with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, he said, Malaysia needed to become one of the top four runners-up to advance into the third round and at the same time qualify on merit for the 2023 Asian Cup finals.

Cheng Hoe said that an intensive preparation and high focus from players were the elements which could help the team realise their dream.

“We can’t just talk about qualifying for the third round and complete the group matches in second place. We need to understand that if we want to be runners-up, teams need to get the best results. So, we have to make the best preparation and focus on every game.

“It (the grouping) is not easy...most likely most countries were happy with this draw. We know that UAE is the best and the strongest team and when we talk about the World Cup, every coach wants to get a good result,” he told reporters when met after the 2022 World Cup/Asia Cup 2023 qualifier draw held at the AFC House in Bukit Jalil here today.

Cheng Hoe said their first match against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Sept 5 is very important.

“It’s a surprise because four of Asean countries were drawn in the same group. It looks like the AFF (Asean Football Federation) Cup mini-tournament, and what’s more important, I want players to be ready for the first match against Indonesia.

“Everyone knows it’s not easy to play there, especially at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium,” he said.

Meanwhile, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said the national squad needed to use this golden opportunity to qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup but acknowledged that all teams have equal chance.

“I think we have a chance...luckily the draw was in our favour and now we expect a good performance on the pitch. All teams want to win and the opportunity is balanced,” he said. — Bernama