Malaysian media: 'Who can breach Vietnam's fortress?'

Malaysian newspapers question which player can penetrate Vietnam's defense, likened to a solid fortress, as the "Malaysian Tigers" suffer severe losses before the decisive match.

Malaysian media, specifically BHarian, is paying special attention to how coach Peter Cklamovski will arrange the attack in the final Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. The match against Vietnam at Thiên Trường Stadium (Nam Định) is seen as a major test, with BHarian describing coach Kim Sang Sik's team as a sturdy "fortress" in the region.

Attention intensifies as Malaysia enters this match with heavy losses. Seven players including Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Joao Figueiredo, Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Imanol Machuca, and Gabriel Palmero are suspended by FIFA for 12 months due to document scandals. In this context, Malaysian media raises a major question: "Who will be the 'attacking spearhead' capable of piercing Vietnam's defense?"

According to BHarian, the absence of the aforementioned group of players is a heavy blow, as they played key roles in the 4-0 victory over Vietnam at Bukit Jalil on June 10 last year. At that time, Holgado and Figueiredo scored directly, while Garces and Irazabal ensured the defensive system operated solidly, laying the foundation for a dominant performance.

Notably, Figueiredo maintained impressive form afterward with goals against Singapore and Palestine. However, in this rematch, coach Cklamovski must rebuild the entire attacking plan without his main striker, while the goal of achieving a positive result remains unchanged even though the chance to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup is gone.

Nevertheless, the Australian strategist is not completely without options. In the 28-player list preparing for the match against Vietnam, he called up five forwards: Faisal Halim, Safawi Rasid, Ramadhan Saifullah Usman, Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, and Paulo Josue – names expected to share the task of breaching Vietnam's "fortress."

Among them, Faisal Halim emerges as the brightest candidate. He scored in his last three matches for the national team, including two goals against Laos and the sole goal that helped Malaysia defeat Nepal 1-0. At club level, the Selangor captain also shows stable form with 5 goals and 6 assists in the Super League and 4 more goals in the Malaysia Cup.

Additionally, Safawi Rasid is also a major hope. The KL City forward is currently the best local scorer in the Super League with 12 goals, ranking 4th in the league's scoring list behind foreign players Bergson Da Silva, Chrigor Moraes, and Jairo Da Silva. Safawi's diverse finishing ability is seen as the key to penetrating the defense that Malaysian media likens to Vietnam's "fortress."

Despite having beaten Laos twice and Nepal once while missing the suspended players, BHarian emphasizes that the challenge against Vietnam is entirely different. Not only does Vietnam hold a higher standing in the region, the Vietnamese team is also assessed as a well-organized opponent, making Malaysia's task of finding a "goal-scorer" more urgent than ever.