Surprise at the number of defenders Malaysia called up for the match against Vietnam

On the eve of the rematch with the Vietnamese national team, Malaysia drew attention with an unusual approach to squad preparation, sparking many speculations about tactical intentions.

To prepare for the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Malaysian national team held its first training session in Kuala Lumpur with 25 players present, mainly those playing domestically. Notably, Brazilian-born midfielder Endrick, currently playing for Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, also joined the squad in time. Three overseas players, Dion Cools, Daniel Ting, and Sergio Aguero, will join the team when the entire squad travels to Bangkok on March 24.

After the training phase in Bangkok, Malaysia will move to Vietnam on March 28 to prepare for the match against the Vietnamese national team on March 31 at Thiên Trường Stadium. However, the most notable aspect lies in the squad composition: Malaysia called up as many as 13 defenders out of a total of 28 players, a number that indicates a noteworthy tactical direction.

According to naturalized forward Paulo Josue, the Malaysian squad has a clear imbalance between lines. Josue stated the team only has 6 midfielders and 5 forwards, while 4 goalkeepers were also called up, including one player from the U23 team. Based on this reality, the 37-year-old striker predicted Malaysia is likely to choose a defensive counter-attacking style when facing Vietnam.

Before the match, coach Cklamovski will have to trim the list from 28 to 23 players as per regulations. Bringing a large number of defenders is not only a personnel option, but also shows the coaching staff Malaysia is carefully calculating tactics for the rematch with the Vietnamese national team.

Malaysia has not beaten Vietnam for over 11 years, and the 4-0 victory in June 2025 was also overturned by AFC to a 0-3 loss due to the use of an illegal naturalized player. This incident caused them to lose their ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup, while the Vietnamese national team was awarded the win and legitimately advanced.

According to lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli, Malaysia's avoidance of a heavier penalty was "very fortunate," as if Article 61 on document forgery were applied, they could face the risk of being banned from major tournaments. He also rebutted coach Cklamovski's view that the team "had victories stripped and lost the Asian Cup 2027 ticket due to reasons beyond their control."

Nevertheless, coach Cklamovski still aims to defeat the Vietnamese national team to "restore faith in the national team." With the call-up of 13 defenders, Malaysia is clearly preparing for a tightly contested match, prioritizing defense, in an effort to seek a positive result away from home - where they have not beaten Vietnam for many years.