TWO CRUCIAL MISSIONS AWAIT MALAYAN TIGRESS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian women's football squad managed by Soleen Al-Zoubi will face an uphill task in going through several important tournaments this year.

According to Soleen, the 2026 Asian Cup Qualifiers to be held in Tajikistan will be an important arena for the national players, but the Jordanian coach is realistic about the chances of her charges in the mission to hunt for a ticket to the Asian Cup tournament.

"Being drawn with North Korea is a big challenge for us. They are also the champions of the Under-20 and Under-17 Women's World Cup.

"Malaysia's other two opponents, Palestine and hosts Tajikistan are also strong. The players need to be ready to face all these opponents," she said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Soleen also reminded the national women's squad to be prepared for any obstacles as the Malayan Tigress will be playing in a different arena.

"The distance for us to travel to Tajikistan is also one of the challenges because the country is very far apart with a significant time zone difference," she explained.

Soleen added that to improve her squad before leaving for Tajikistan, she has planned to hold a series of friendly matches.

“Apart from honing and testing the players’ skills during the National Women’s League (LWN) this season, we are also working to hold several international friendlies during the FIFA window from June 6-19 (2025),” she added.

The Malayan Tigress who are drawn in Group H alongside North Korea, Palestine and Tajikistan are scheduled to play their matches from June 23 to July 5, 2025.

Apart from the 2026 Asian Cup Qualifiers, the Malayan Tigress will also face the 2025 SEA Games which is scheduled to be held in Thailand from Dec 3-19, 2025.

-- BERNAMA