The Malaysians will face UAE when the Asian Qualifiers resume, with Vietnam and Thailand to follow.
Kuala Lumpur: (Malaysia): Mohamadou Sumareh exuded confidence that Malaysia will hit form when the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 resume.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of Asian Qualifiers fixtures scheduled for March and June, with Malaysia within striking distance of top spot in Group G.
The Southeast Asians sit second in the group on nine points, with Vietnam on top with 11. Regional rivals Thailand are third on eight points with United Arab Emirates two points behind in an extremely tight group.
Sumareh said his only concern will be fitness when the Asian Qualifiers resume.
“I would say it’s more about fitness probably, not game play,” said the naturalised Malaysian.
“We all know what coach Tan (Cheng Hoe) wants, the style he likes to play, and everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.”
“So, nothing will change when we come back because we’ve known each other for a while.
“We know exactly how each player works the ball and their style. If there will be anything lacking in our performance, if compared to last year, it could be fitness,” said the 26-year-old.
The Gambia-born Sumareh, who obtained his Malaysian citizenship last year, has quickly established himself in the national team and scored twice in Harimau Malaya’s 3-2 win against Indonesia in their opening Asian Qualifiers tie last September.
Malaysia then suffered narrow defeats to UAE (2-1) and Vietnam (1-0) before bouncing back to beat Thailand (2-1) – with Sumareh scoring the first – and Indonesia (2-0).
The Malaysians will face UAE when the Asian Qualifiers resume, with Vietnam and Thailand to follow. (Source: AFC)
