KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian football team will fly to Muscat tomorrow on a pre-World Cup mission on a high.
World No. 132 Malaysia's 5-1 win over world No. 175 Nepal in a test match on Friday comes as a good send-off for them.
Coach Kim Pan Gon tested his players against Nepal in a closed door friendly at the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam. The match lasted 140 minutes over four halves.
Harimau Malaya scored through Darren Lok (31st and 35th minutes), Stuart Wilkin (46th), Daniel Ting (48th) and Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi (135th). Nepal's solitary goal came from Sameer Tamang (68th).
It is learnt that national Under-23 defender Ruventhiran has been dropped from the 33-player preliminary team due to injury.
Malaysia will play Oman in a World Cup qualifier on Muscat on March 21 and in Bukit Jalil on March 26.
Midfielder Paulo Josue said: "I think the matches against Oman will be the most important in Malaysian football history. If we can get three points away and beat them again at home, we will get through to the next round.
"We'll give it 100 per cent (against Oman) like what we showed against South Korea (3-3 in the Asian Cup in January). There's a good chance we can do it."