NATURALISED striker Paulo Josue, after a challenging beginning, has come to realise that Malaysia’s quest to make history by advancing to the 2023 Asian Cup round of 16 hinges significantly on its performance against the 86th-ranked team in the world, Bahrain.

The Brazilian-born player said Harimau Malaya still holds a chance to qualify for the knockout stage. This opportunity rests on their ability to secure three points against Dilmun’s Warriors when both teams face off in their second Group E match at the Jassim Bin Hammad Stadium this Saturday

However, the 34-year-old player from Kuala Lumpur City FC anticipates a fierce match, considering that Bahrain is also eager to secure three points after their 1-3 loss to two-time champions South Korea in the opening match

“We are still in the tournament, we still have a chance so we need to prepare for the next match, and forget about our loss.

“It will be a tough game, we watched Bahrain, they troubled South Korea. So we need to plan well to see what’s the best for the game and go there, go all out to try to collect points to qualify,” he said.

Meanwhile, winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim remains optimistic about Malaysia’s chances to reach the knockout round. He urged his teammates to strive for victory and deliver a stellar performance against Bahrain.

The Selangor FC player emphasised that defeat is a normal part of football, but as professional players, the players need to quickly forget bad results and focus on the next game.

The hopes of Malaysia, led by South Korean coach Kim Pan Gon, to secure a positive result in their first appearance in the Asian Cup after 17 years were not realised after a 0-4 defeat to Jordan at the Al Janoub Stadium in Doha on Monday (early Tuesday morning Malaysia time).

Following the match against Bahrain, Pan Gon’s men, ranked 130th in the world, will face South Korea in their final group action at the Al Janoub Stadium on January 25.

Only the champions and runners-up of each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will qualify for the round of 16.

This marks Malaysia’s fourth appearance in the Asian Cup, qualifying on merit in 1976 in Iran and 1980 in Kuwait, and as co-hosts in 2007. However, Malaysia exited at the group stage in the previous three editions. – Bernama, January 17, 2024.