Malaysia once managed a draw against a World Cup-bound team mostly composed of local players.

Malaysia made fans proud by holding the team that later qualified for the 2026 World Cup in Cape Verde to a draw, despite fielding a squad mainly made up of domestic players without many naturalized stars.

The Malaysian national team once had the chance to face and surprise an opponent who later secured a spot at the 2026 World Cup in Cape Verde. In mid-2025, during international friendlies held at home, the "Malayan Tigers" thrilled fans by drawing 1-1 with Cape Verde on May 29, before losing 0-3 in the rematch on June 3.

Notably, in that match, Malaysia mainly deployed a lineup consisting of local players, with almost no participation from naturalized players. Although considered physically and athletically inferior, coach Peter Cklamovski’s squad displayed a resilient fighting spirit, organized tight defense, and effective counterattacks to force the African opponents to settle for a draw.

At that time, Cape Verde was not yet a well-known name in African football. However, this island nation made significant progress in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. In the early hours of October 14 (Vietnam time), Cape Verde defeated Eswatini 3-0, convincingly securing first place in Group D, four points ahead of second-place Cameroon.

This achievement marked a historic milestone for Cape Verde, as they qualified for the World Cup for the first time. It is a great accomplishment for the small Atlantic island country, which covers only about 4,033 km² (slightly larger than Hanoi) and has a population of just under 600,000. Cape Verde also became the second smallest nation ever to participate in the world’s biggest football event, after Iceland (2018 World Cup).

The fact that Malaysia once held this new World Cup entrant to a draw is an interesting detail, showing that coach Peter Cklamovski’s team can compete fairly with international-level opponents. Although it was just a friendly, this result boosts Malaysia’s confidence as they prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup and their ambition to join the ranks of Asia’s strongest teams.

From what seemed like an ordinary draw, Malaysian fans can now take pride that their team once forced the “phenomenon” Cape Verde, now a 2026 World Cup newcomer, to share points.