KUALA LUMPUR: National Under-16 coach Lim Teong Kim believes his charges, groomed under the National Football Development Programme (NFDP), are ready to make a huge impact at the AFC Championship on Sept 20-Oct 7.
The tournament, comprising 15 teams and hosts Malaysia, doubles up as a qualifier for next year’s Under-17 World Cup in Peru.
The top four teams will make the cut, and Malaysia hope to earn one of the slots.
Malaysia must finish top two in Group A, also comprising Japan, Tajikistan and Thailand, in order to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Teong Kim’s side will open against Tajikistan on Sept 20, followed by Thailand three days later and Japan on Sept 26.
Matches will be played at the National Stadium (Bukit Jalil), UM Arena (KL) and MBPJ Stadium (Petaling Jaya).
Teong Kim, a former international, said the 2-0 and 4-0 defeats to South Korea in friendlies in July has helped in terms of identifying his team’s weaknesses.
“Our preparations for the AFC Under-16 are in full swing and everything is going as planned.
“The players are in good condition and are raring for action.
“I am confident that my team will be able to perform and match our rivals.
“The key is to avoid mistakes like the ones we made against Korea recently... we can go far in this tournament,” said the 55-year-old, formerly a Bayern Munich academy coach.
On the opening match against Tajikistan, Teong Kim said his team need to make sure they collect three points against the Central Asian team.
“Both teams are at the same level. It is important that we win the opening match to set the tone for a good outing.
“We have analysed Tajikistan’s previous matches and I believe we can beat them, provided my players take their chances,” Teong Kim added.