KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the Harimau Malaya squad to maintain their winning momentum in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 third-place playoff this Monday.
In a Facebook post today, the Prime Minister said the fighting spirit and determination shown by the national squad throughout the campaign remained a source of pride for all Malaysians despite missing out on the final.
The Prime Minister also congratulated Harimau Malaya on their emphatic 6-0 victory over Singapore last night.
“The fight is not over. The focus is now on the third-place playoff. Maintain the momentum, fight until the final whistle and bring home a victory for Malaysia!” he said in the post.
“Although we missed out on the final, the fighting spirit and determination shown by Harimau Malaya throughout the campaign remain a source of pride for all Malaysians, proving that the national team can compete and give their best,” he said.
In their final Group A Division 1 match at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung last night, Malaysia thrashed Singapore 6-0, but the result was not enough to take the national squad into the final.
Malaysia and Indonesia were tied on seven points and had the same goal difference of plus nine, but the advantage went to the Garuda squad, who scored 11 goals compared with Malaysia's nine.
Indonesia advanced to the final as group champions after thrashing Bangladesh 9-2 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) in Jakarta.
Malaysia will meet the Group B runners-up in the third-place playoff, most likely to be Vietnam, who now lie second in the group with their final match to be played this evening.
Both the third-place playoff and the final between Indonesia and Thailand will be held at GBK on Monday.
-- BERNAMA