KUALA LUMPUR: The National Stadium holds the key to Malaysia's World Cup dream, and the venue in Bukit Jalil needs to be in perfect condition for Harimau Malaya's assault.
Sports observer Sadek Mustafa said the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (MSC) should take lessons from previous experiences to ensure the stadium is playable when Harimau Malaya entertain Oman in a 2026 World Cup-2027 Asian Cup qualifier on March 26.
Last year, the National Stadium became a laughing stock for its poor pitch condition when Malaysia hosted the Merdeka Tournament in October.
A month later, the pitch suffered further damage when British band Coldplay held a concert at the venue.
However, the MSC managed to fix the pitch for the Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Terengganu.
Sadek said the venue must be in tip-top condition for the World Cup qualifiers, or it might demoralise the team.
"Harimau Malaya have evolved, so they need a quality pitch.
"If it is not up to par, it could psychologically affect the players and disrupt coach Kim Pan Gon's plans.
"The concerned parties must make sure the pitch will be in good condition for the qualifiers," said Sadek.
World No. 132 Malaysia are at the top of Group D with six points from wins over Kyrgyzstan (4-3) and Taiwan (1-0).
Pan Gon's side are targeting a minimum of 12 points to qualify for the third round of the qualifiers, which will also guarantee their Asian Cup ticket.
Malaysia will play world No. 80 Oman on March 21 away, followed by a return match in Bukit Jalil.
"I think we have a 50-50 chance against Oman. I think Malaysia's performance in the recent Asian Cup has opened the eyes of their rivals.
"However, the team must keep making progress," Sadek added.
Malaysia's other remaining matches in the qualifiers are against world No. 104 Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek on June 6 and No. 153 Taiwan in Bukit Jalil on June 11.