Handle with care: Former player Hassan Al Haydos handing the Asian Cup to Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John before the draw at Katara Opera House in Doha yesterday. — Reuters
PETALING JAYA: When the Asian Cup draw was made, Brendan Gan immediately glanced at two of his Selangor teammates.
Jordanians Noor Al-Rawabdeh and Yazan Al-Arab are set to be his opponents in Qatar.
Harimau Malaya and Jordan were placed in Group E along with Bahrain and South Korea during the draw at the Katara Opera House in Qatar yesterday.
“After the draw, I joked with the Jordanian boys that Malaysia have an easy group because they are there,” said Brendan, one of the key players in the national team, who has 27 caps so far.
It may have been a joke, but the draw is no laughing matter.
All the teams in the group are tough, especially World Cup regulars South Korea.
“Every game in the group will be hard, and we have to do our best in every game. Tactically, all the sides are different, so it is up to the coaches to plan well for every game,” said Brendan.
“We know Jordan’s quality. They are a tough side with some proven matches on their belt. They faced Spain in a friendly recently and gave a good account of themselves (although Jordan lost 1-3).
Jordan, ranked 84th in the world, are making their fifth appearance in the Finals, having qualified for the quarter-finals twice - in 2004 and 2011.
National coach and South Korean Kim Pan-gon, meanwhile, will be looking forward to facing his home nation, known as Taegeuk Warriors, in the tournament from Jan 12 to Feb 10.
The Koreans will be the favourites to win the tournament as they are ranked 27th in the world. They have won the Cup twice - in 1956 and 1960. The side captained by Son Heung-min will be making their 15th cup appearance.
“It is a big one for the coach. He would love it. He knows them very well, the way they play and the players. So we look forward to hearing every piece of information from him,” said Brendan.
Just one rung below Jordan in the world rankings is Bahrain, who are making their seventh appearance. Bahrain’s best finish was in 2004, when they finished fourth.
Brendan knows how they play too.
“In the Asian Cup qualifiers, we faced them and lost 1-2. I wasn’t part of the game but I watched it at the stadium. Our boys did well that night and could have got a result. So we look forward to facing them again.”
As for 138th ranked Malaysia, this will be their fourth appearance in the Asian Cup. In the three editions they took part - in 1976, 1980 and 2007 - Malaysia failed to qualify for the knockout stages.
Hosts Qatar are the defending champions.
“Malaysia being part of this tournament will be good for our football. It is nice to be part of the biggest stage in Asia. There will be eyes on our team, league and, most importantly, our young players.
“If they impress, who knows, overseas opportunities will beckon. We still have a long way to go before the tournament, so we have lots of football to be played.
“No player is guaranteed a spot in the Asian Cup, so we must keep working hard throughout the season to ensure we stay in contention,” said Brendan.
