KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- Harimau Malaya head coach Peter Cklamovski has told his men to focus fully on the two friendlies against Cape Verde before training their sights on the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10.
He described Cape Verde as a team of high quality as his charges gear up for the two friendlies - tomorrow and June 3.
He said Cape Verde deserve their full respect and, as such, he will field the strongest XI for the Tier 1 friendly at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras tomorrow.
"The match against Vietnam is still a long way off. The two matches against Cape Verde are an important part of our preparations towards that.
"Football is a unique game and we have to respect every opponent. We have to give our best team performance and go in with a strong mentality, regardless of who the opponent is. This attitude will strengthen the team," he told a pre-match media conference ahead of the friendly against Cape Verde here today.
Cklamovski urged the national team to fully utilise the friendly against world number 72 Cape Verde, whose style of play is almost similar to Vietnam's, which will be helpful as they prepare for the crunch Asian Cup qualifying game.
"We will make the most of the friendly matches even though we know it will be a big challenge. Cape Verde and Vietnam are very similar in terms of physicality, strength, speed and (their) direct style of play.
"So, it will be interesting to see how we can get something out of this match (friendly). Playing against a strong team like this (Cape Verde) will help us develop as a team," he said.
The national team will take on Cape Verde a second time, in a closed-door friendly, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3.
-- BERNAMA
