Strangers in the mix for Mukhairi
After the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-19 Championship draw was concluded, national Under-19 captain Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi started reading up on each of his opponents.
All the opponents – Tajikistan, Qatar and Yemen – in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, will be strangers to the Selangor II player in his agegroup career.
While Mukhairi loves unpredictability, he admits that qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup next year in Indonesia would not be an easy task.
The 18-year-old said the Covid-19 pandemic has made it tough for most nations as football was suspended for more than three months and players could only have indoor training.
“I guess there is a thing called the luck of the draw. I have not faced any of these opponents before. The only middle east nation I have met was the United Arab Emirates (UAE), not Qatar or Yemen,” said Mukhairi.
“The tournament in Uzbekistan will be tough, but I believe our fighting spirit will see us through. If we have the same determination and spirit that we had in the qualifying round, I will not be surprised if we can go far in Tashkent.”
Right now, the skipper said all the players would have to work on their fitness and techniques as they have not played more than three months.
However, they have another three months to prepare for the Oct 13-31 tournament.
“I did not even feature in the Premier League because I injured my right ankle during pre-season.
“Now that we are back in training, I am going to make sure I fight for a spot in the first 11. When the season resumes, I want to be playing matches to ensure I am prepared for Tashkent.
“Coach (Brad Maloney) spoke to us before the movement control order (MCO), emphasising the need for fitness, and also keeping ourselves focused for the task in Uzbekistan.”
Malaysia finished runners-up thrice (1959,1960 and 1968) and third twice (1964
and 1965) and have qualified for the main tournament 23 times.
Two years ago in Indonesia, Malaysia finished bottom in Group D, with only a point. Saudi Arabia topped the group and went on to win the tournament.
In the qualifying tournament last year, Malaysia were unbeaten in Group G as they beat Cambodia 5-4, Northern Mariana Islands 10-0, Brunei 11-0 and Thailand 1-0 to qualify.
Mukhairi was one of the standouts as he bossed the midfield with his vision and tenacity.
He will have to be back at his best again if Malaysia are to do well in Uzbekistan.