Malaysia's national football team is about to write a small piece of regional football history. The newly created FIFA ASEAN Cup kicks off later this month, and Harimau Malaya have been drawn into Group A alongside host nation Indonesia, Singapore and Bangladesh, with the opening match against Bangladesh set for September 25.
The 23-man squad, currently under interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, departs for Jakarta on September 22 to begin preparations on the ground. There's fresh depth to work with too — FIFA recently confirmed the eligibility of Johor Darul Ta'zim winger Manuel Hidalgo to represent Malaysia, joining previously cleared players Bergson da Silva and Brad Tapp as new options for the national setup.
Off the pitch, the team is also settling into a permanent home for the first time. The Football Association of Malaysia's new National Training Centre in Putrajaya, built at a cost of RM69 million with support from a FIFA development grant, has just completed its first phase and is ready for the squad to use heading into the tournament. Since the competition runs during an official FIFA international window, every participating country is expected to field its strongest available squad, meaning Malaysia's group stage won't be easy from the very first whistle.
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