DOHA: On paper, Malaysia are unlikely to advance to the round of 16 at the Asian Cup with statistical analysis revealing that Harimau Malaya only have a 17.3 per cent chance — the second lowest among the 24 competing teams.
Kim Pan Gon's side were thrashed 4-0 by Jordan in their opening Group E match in Doha on Monday.
World No. 130 Malaysia will take on No. 86 Bahrain today and No. 23 South Korea on Jan 25.
The probability of Malaysia finishing at the bottom of Group E stands at 72.8%.
According to the statistics, South Korea holds a 73 per cent chance of topping the group, followed by Jordan (24.7 per cent) and Bahrain (1.3 per cent).
At the bottom of the rankings is Vietnam, with a zero per cent chance of progressing after consecutive defeats to Japan (4-2) and Indonesia (1-0).
Teams most likely to secure a spot in the final 16, ranked at 100 per cent, include Qatar, Australia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, and Uzbekistan.
Hosts Qatar, Australia, Iran, and Iraq have each recorded two victories in their respective groups, while UAE and Uzbekistan have a win and a draw.
Japan, initially predicted to become champions for the fifth time, experienced a significant drop in probabilities after a 2-1 defeat to Iraq in a Group D match on Friday.
Although still leading the ranks, Japan's probabilities now stand at 18.8 per cent.
Rounding up the top five are defending champions Qatar (14.7 per cent), 2015 winners Australia (13.7 per cent), Iran (12 per cent), and South Korea (11.9 per cent).