KUALA LUMPUR: It may not be enough for injury-ravaged Malaysia to qualify for the AFC Under-23 Championship in China next year even if they beat Mongolia in a Group H qualifying match at National Stadium in Bangkok on Sunday.
Results against the fourth-placed sides in each of the 10 groups will not be considered to decide the top five second-placed teams for spots into next year’s tournament proper.
If the points are tied, the head-to-head record between the concerned teams will decide their rankings in the group, followed by goal difference.
Goalkeeper Ifwat Akmal Che Kassim and winger Syafiq Ahmad, who both did not play in the 3-0 defeat to Thailand on Friday, are still nursing injuries while striker N. Thanabalan, Adam Nor Azlin, Irfan Zakaria and Amirul Hisyan Awang Kechik are the latest on the crock list.
“I have until tomorrow to assess these players for the match. However, I have options in other squad members,” said national youth coach Ong Kim Swee in Bangkok.
“Mongolia are unpredictable. They held Thailand with their fighting qualities for a draw in their first match. I think they were tired in the 7-0 defeat to Indonesia yesterday.
“They are a threat to us. We need to focus and win in hope of qualifying for the tournament proper.
“The players must take their chances and play to instructions throughout the 90 minutes. We need to show good fighting qualities and also not take things lightly tomorrow,” he added.
Kim Swee said Malaysia’s ranking in the group will also depend on the result between Thailand and Indonesia.
“Whatever happens, we need to do our job by winning tomorrow. If we win while Indonesia either beat or draw with Thailand, we will top the group and qualify directly to the tournament proper.
“It will be better that way as finishing second will not guarantee us a spot. Furthermore, results against teams that finish last in the respective groups will not be taken into account to decide the rankings for the top five second-placed teams,” said Kim Swee.
On the defeat to Thailand, Kim Swee said his team gave too much respect to their opponents.
“Their goal in the first-half of stoppage time killed our hopes for points,” he added.