Kuala lumpur: Harimau Malaya's 14-place drop to 135th in the world rankings has dealt a heavy blow to head coach Peter Cklamovski: Harimau Malaya's recent fall in global football rankings has significantly impacted the team's morale. However, the head coach, Peter Cklamovski, remains undeterred and optimistic about the future.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Australian coach emphasized that his squad maintains a positive outlook despite ongoing controversies in the local football scene. Cklamovski is confident that the efforts to break into the top 100 in the world are progressing as planned. He assured that the team has diligently focused on training, style of play, and tactical analysis, while considering external challenges as temporary hurdles to overcome.
Cklamovski reflected on the past year, highlighting the progress made under his leadership. He stated, "Yeah, obviously in the last 12 months, you know, we're moving in the right direction in that regard. Again, everything that we can control - the way we train, the way we play, the way we analyse our opponents, the way we analyse our football, and how we can keep growing our football." He acknowledged the off-field issues as minor setbacks, viewing them as part of the journey towards success.
The coach reiterated his commitment to the team, emphasizing that time is a crucial factor in achieving their goals since taking charge of Harimau Malaya in 2024. "Step by step, yeah, step by step and time," he added, underlining the importance of patience and perseverance.
The recent rankings released by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) showed Harimau Malaya dropping to 135th in the world, with 1095.90 points. This significant decline resulted from heavy sanctions imposed by FIFA, following a document falsification issue involving seven ineligible heritage players.
In December, FIFA nullified the results of friendly matches against Singapore and Palestine, along with a draw against Cape Verde, converting them into 3-0 defeats. The situation deteriorated when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) imposed similar penalties on two 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam and Nepal, where the players in question were also fielded.
The AFC's decision to award Malaysia 3-0 forfeits not only cost the team valuable ranking points but also confirmed their failure to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, further compounding the challenges faced by Cklamovski and his team.