No time to rest: Malaysia’s national Under-19 squad warming up during a training session at the Pamir Stadium in Tajikistan yesterday. — FAM
PETALING JAYA: The older, the better.
National Under-19 centreback D. Moses Raj said playing against older opponents was their secret to success in the ongoing AFC Under-20 Asian Cup 2025 Group H qualifiers in Tajikistan.
On Saturday, they beat Oman 2-1 and held North Korea 0-0 on Monday.
Moses said before flying to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the team led by Spaniard Juan Torres Garrido took part in an International Invitational Tournament in China where they played the hosts, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.
Moses, 19, revealed that the teams they faced in China were all Under-21 sides.
“I guess that experience gave us an edge in the qualifiers. The exposure of playing against footballers older than us gave us a sense of bravery,” said the Perak player.
“So when we took on the likes of Oman and North Korea, we did not have any fear and felt that we could take on any team in this tournament.”
Moses, a student of Ipoh’s SMK Anderson, has so far scored one goal in the tournament, starting against Oman and playing 10 minutes against North Korea.
The Harimau Muda will next take on host nation Tajikistan at the Pamir Stadium tomorrow and he is hopeful of starting in that game.
“This is my first ever international tournament, a proper one. Imagine scoring for your own country, it gave me a small sense of pride. I am sure my parents and teammates back home would be happy to see what I have done,” he said.
“The four points we got from the two games proved that we didn’t give up at all.
“One good thing about this squad is that everyone is worthy of a first-eleven spot, hence the rotational system by the coach.
“Next up is the home nation Tajikistan. I am sure the crowd will be there to cheer on their nation but we will make sure to give a good fight and hopefully get more points on board.”
