Harimau Muda Must Stay Confident Against Thailand - Nafuzi  

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- National Under-23 (U-23) head coach Nafuzi Zain hopes his players can maintain a high level of confidence when they face Thailand in their final Group F match of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Pathum Thani, Thailand, tomorrow.  

Nafuzi said the Harimau Muda only need to sustain the positive momentum shown in the first two group matches while not giving too much respect to their opponents.  

“Both teams need three points. We need three points to qualify as one of the four best runners-up, so if we draw, we will be out. We will give our all to secure the three points.  

“My hope is that the players remain confident, without fear or nerves. We just need to play as we did in the first two group matches — full of confidence and going all out for victory,” he said in a video clip shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today.  

At the same time, he acknowledged that Thailand are a strong side with quality players who will provide stiff competition for his men.  

“If you look at their first two games, Thailand have shown they are a strong team. We must be ready, and facing the host team will not be easy. What’s important is that we must believe, not be afraid, and stick to the plan,” said the 46-year-old coach.  

Malaysia opened their campaign with a 0-1 defeat to Lebanon before bouncing back with a 7-0 thrashing of Mongolia, and are scheduled to take on Thailand at Thammasat Stadium.  

After two matches, Thailand top Group F with four points alongside second-placed Lebanon, followed by Malaysia in third (three points) and Mongolia at the bottom without a point.  

Only the 11 group winners and four best runners-up will qualify for the final round in Saudi Arabia in January. 

Malaysia previously qualified for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 2022 (Uzbekistan) and 2024 (Qatar), with their best achievement being a quarter-final appearance in the 2018 edition in China.  

-- BERNAMA