KUALA LUMPUR: National men's football team coach Kim Pan Gon hopes that his charges will be able to begin their 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup second-round qualifiers at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, on Nov 16.
Harimau Malaya are scheduled to kick off the Group D qualifier against world No. 97 Kyrgyzstan before flying to Taipei to take on world No. 152 Taiwan on Nov 21.
Even though the newly laid National Stadium pitch was seen as not fully ready and received criticism for its poor quality during the Pestabola Merdeka tournament from Oct 13-17, Pan Gon wants the stadium to remain as Harimau Malaya's fortress.
The South Korean coach, 54, said the field condition had improved based on the latest assessment by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (MSC), yesterday.
"The National Stadium is the home of Harimau Malaya. Thus, the fans and the players are very familiar with the atmosphere in this stadium. It is my hope that our match against Kyrgyzstan will be played at the National Stadium.
"Its location in the Klang Valley will surely be advantageous and will boost the attendance of supporters. It can also help reduce Harimau Malaya's travel time compared with if the match is held on the outskirts of the Klang Valley," he said in a statement posted on FAM's Facebook page today.
Pestabola Merdeka was the first tournament to be held at the National Stadium after it had been closed since March for the pitch to be laid with new Zeon Zoysia grass.
After the two matches this month, Malaysia, with a ranking of 137, are scheduled to play world No. 72 Oman away and at home on March 21 and 26 next year, respectively. Malaysia will then face Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek on June 6, and conclude the second round against Taiwan on June 11 at home.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers and directly secure Asian Cup tickets, while the third and fourth-placed teams will have to play in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifications.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, with a new format of 48-team, expanded from 32-team previously.
Three-time winner Saudi Arabia is set to host the Asian Cup for the first time in 2027. --Bernama