Jakarta:Newly-elected Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan has set a goal for Harimau Malaya to leverage the FIFA ASEAN Cup, taking place from September 25 to October 5 in Indonesia, as a stepping stone towards breaking into the world's top 100 football teams.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, achieving a higher ranking would benefit Malaysia, currently ranked 136th, by securing more favorable draws for the 2030 World Cup and 2031 Asian Cup qualifying campaigns. The draws are scheduled for next June, and Ab Ghani emphasized the importance of accumulating points during the ASEAN Cup, whether through wins or draws, to enhance Malaysia's position.

Ab Ghani stressed the significance of Harimau Malaya being placed in Pot 2 for the upcoming qualifiers to avoid the challenges associated with being in Pot 3 or Pot 4. He highlighted the need to first aim for the top rank in Southeast Asia as a preliminary step towards the global top 100.

Additionally, Ab Ghani intends to organize international friendlies to further boost the national squad's FIFA ranking. Harimau Malaya's ranking fell from 116th to 138th following a document falsification issue involving seven players.

In the FIFA ASEAN Cup, Malaysia will compete in Division One in Group A alongside hosts Indonesia, Singapore, and Bangladesh. Group B consists of Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Malaysia's campaign will start against world No. 181 Bangladesh at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta on September 25, followed by a match against world No. 118 Indonesia at the same venue on September 28. The final group fixture against world No. 148 Singapore will be held at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung on October 1.

The group winners will proceed to the final at Gelora Bung Karno on October 5, while the runners-up will compete in a third-place playoff at the same venue earlier that day.