Harimau Malaya's World Cup 2026 dreams hang in the balance over the next six days against an in-transition Oman
With a new coach and having the benefit of match fitness, could Oman derail Malaysia's hopes of making it to the expanded World Cup in two years?
The next six days are crucial for Malaysia's national football team if they are to harbour the dreams of qualifying for the expanded FIFA World Cup in 2026.
Kim Pan-gon and his boys left for Muscat, Oman, on Sunday, scheduled to take on the hosts early Friday morning (22 March, 2am kick-off), before the corresponding fixture takes place at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on 26 March.
Captain Matthew Davies and fellow defender Junior Eldstal were not the only notable absentees as the 25-man squad boarded the plane on Sunday.
Conspicuously missing from the passenger manifest was assistant team manager, Datuk Kamarul Ariffin Mohd Shahar, who has quit following the AFC Asian Cup in Doha two months ago.
Kamarul, who had been assuming the role since 2021 when Harimau Malaya was coached by Tan Cheng Hoe, apparently quit in a huff for personal reasons.
The businessman had also resigned as a board member of the league operators, Malaysia Football League (MFL).
What Kamarul's departure could mean for Malaysia's national team
Although Kamarul’s absence may have little impact on the team’s performance, his presence had been a calming factor to a group of key and senior players,
The former FA of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee member had endeared himself to the players and their families with his unique sense of humour and jovial disposition.
Above all, the man from Kuantan has deep pockets. He used to indulge the players with sumptuous meals according to their fancies and even gifted them with branded items.
It was his way of performing the good cop role, as opposed to Kim’s sifu-like presence.
Acknowledged to be a trusted confidante of FAM President, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, Kamarul was, for many in the Harimau Malaya set-up, the go-to guy whenever they needed a solution to an issue.
With Kamarul’s philanthropic patronage no longer at the players’ disposal, they will have to find other alternatives to satisfy their non-footballing indulgence.
Internally, the group dynamics has changed.
However, even if Kamarul is around to ease the burden on Kim or solve problems off the pitch, there is no guarantee of an assured performance on the field.
In fact Malaysia’s preparation for the Muscat mission has been far from ideal.
Do Malaysia have a chance against Oman?
On paper, Malaysia is facing a team ranked more than 40 rungs above them in the FIFA rankings.
The players are not fully match fit as the Malaysian league is in pre-season mode, whereas the Oman league is in full swing, with match day 13 of the Omani league fixtures held between March 5 and 8.
So is the Sultan Qaboos Cup, the Gulf nation’s premier knockout tournament, before the Omani squad reported for centralised training.
At this juncture though, Oman are a team in transition, having done only slightly better than Malaysia in terms of statistics, although both teams were eliminated in the group stage of the Asian Cup.
While Oman finished third in Group F, Malaysia finished fourth and last in Group E, but not before holding South Korea to a 3-3 draw, in which Faisal Halim’s equaliser was voted as goal of the tournament.
The Omanis collected two points from two draws (0-0 against Thailand and 1-1 against Kyrgyzstan) after opening their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia.
The draw with Kyrgyzstan, who happen to be a rival in the World Cup qualifiers, spelt the end of Branko Ivankovic’s four-year spell as Oman tactician.
Under Jaroslav Silhavy, who signed a two-year contract in February, Oman are relying on a group of experienced players led by forward Mohsin al Ghassani, with Harib al Saadi most likely to stoke the central midfield in a team captained by defender Mohammed al Musallami.
The previous times Malaysia met Oman on the pitch
That said, Malaysia’s head-to-head record against Oman for the past two decades is nothing to shout about, with only two wins for the visitors.
In the 2000 Merdeka Tournament, Malaysia beat Oman - coached by the Brazil’s 1970 World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto Torres - with a 2-0 scoreline, courtesy of Anuar Jusoh’s header and a Rusdi Suparman goal.
At the Busan Asian Games in 2002, Allan Harris’ men lost 1-0 to the Omanis.
A year later, in a friendly at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Malaysia’s Under-23 side beat Oman 2-1, with Kedah marksman Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli marking his appointment as the skipper with an assist.
In September 2010, Datuk K. Rajagobal’s men were handed a sobering experience by the 2009 Gulf Cup-winning champions Oman in Doha. The Tigers conceded three goals in the first half against an opponent handled by former Malaysian coach, Claude Le Roy.
In 2015, Harimau Malaya was whitewashed 6-0 by Paul Le Guen’s Red Warriors.
Oman has not lost any of their last five matches at home and are second in the Group D standings after a 2-0 win against Chinese Taipei and a surprising 1-0 defeat against Kyrgyzstan.
Although Kim remained optimistic following a 5-1 win over Nepal in a closed-door friendly that was held for 140 minutes, divided into four halves at the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam, two days before their departure, a draw will be good enough in Muscat.
After the clash with Oman next week, Malaysia will travel to Bishkek for the tie against Kyrgyzstan on June 6, followed by the return match against Chinese Taipei on June 11.
Do you have a story tip? Email: malaysia.newsroom@yahooinc.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
