Malaysia in the Asian Cup… slim, but with a chance of a miracle

Still but with an outside chance, Malaysia will play Yemen with the opportunity to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup in Al Ain City tonight (10pm MYT).

The hosts prop the table without even a single point, not quite shocking as the Yemenis traditionally have depended on clusters of talented players rising up at the same time. Being one of the poorest nations in the Arab region does not allow the government such luxuries as football development.

We (our beloved Malaysian Tigers) warmed up for Yemen in haze-choked Kuala Lumpur with a meaningless friendly against the Philippines. The squad would have been better suited to have arrived in Yemen nice and early to get used to local conditions, in addition to having the required rest period leading up to this final group clash.

An easy friendly against a local club, a hatful of goals in a morale-boosting hammering would have eased the players into local conditions.

Hence, the decision to go ahead with this friendly was puzzling, and the "fireworks" show provided more entertainment for the crowd than the football at hand. FAM would do well to heed the crowd's cries – local football has for far too long been lying in the doldrums at the international level.

Regardless, we shall still be behind our boys and hope they make for a torrid time for the hosts.

Will we win this game? Yes.

Will we put on a show? I don't think so.

Will we qualify for Australia 2015? The action in Group C will decide.

The Iraqis are in third on 6 points while host and second-placed China are on 8 points.

An Iraq win will take them into automatic qualification and China with 8 points will make best placed third.

Ideally, though, the reverse should happen... and Lebanon, currently 3rd place in Group B, and who have 5 points, travel to bottom of the table Thailand (themselves marooned with nary a point to show) and with the perfect ending being a Thai victory, thus allowing our beloved national team is to make it to the Asian Cup for the first time since 2007 (when Malaysia was joint host with Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam).

So, that is how Malaysia stand a chance – slim, but a chance nevertheless – to advance.

Oh, and Syria could stand in the way as well – even if the above two fixtures go according to plan – when they travel to Jordan.

Malaysia ideally needs a solid performance for the hosts, for it is only then that our boys could catch up to the goal difference. This is because, if both Syria and Malaysia win, the GD will make all the difference – Syria is now at +1, whereas leaky Malaysia has a -3.

Now, if all that stands, then (and only then) Malaysia makes it through.

All of these permutations and possibilities will certainly be a treat for whoever is intending to study gambling behaviours online, as the chances of this happening in unison is unlikely.

Yet, as we are often reminded, those who take large gambles make large winnings, no? (Now, I am not encouraging anyone to gamble. It is merely a statement of observation which any of us can make if we pay close enough attention to the issue.)

Simply put, the only person who stands to lose is Datuk Ong Kim Swee, the interim coach. A convincing win is the minimum required as OKS looks to put himself in the frame for the full-time national job.

His powers of motivation are going to be tested as he looks to inspire the national players for one resounding performance.

For the national players, they know the situation with the coaching job.

It does seem like exciting times as both the vacant national coaching job and the upcoming FAM elections are being looked upon as the start of a new era.

They must not, however, forego this match as a training exercise – the whole nation will be watching, not to mention those teams paying their salaries.

Will there be a new era? Or is it going to be same old, same old?

Bring on Yemen! – March 5, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.