KUALA LUMPUR: The odds of Harimau Malaya qualifying for the third round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time are slim, following Thursday's 1-1 away draw against Kyrgyzstan.
However, former national striker Akmal Rizal Rakhli advised Kim Pan Gon's side to forget about it and unleash their full potential when they face Taiwan in their final World Cup Group D qualifying match at National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
World No. 138 Malaysia are third in the group with seven points, with Oman at the top of the standings with 12 points, followed by Oman on 10. Taiwan have yet to secure points.
Pan Gon's side must beat Taiwan by a huge margin and hope that Kyrgyzstan lose to Oman on Tuesday.
Akmal, who is the coach of Penang's Super League team, said Harimau Malaya have everything to gain and nothing to lose despite the daunting challenge of at least scoring eight or more goals against world No. 159 Taiwan to have any chance of advancing to the third stage.
"Securing a victory by a significant margin will be very tough, but it is not beyond reach. However, the players must perform at their peak to achieve it against Taiwan.
"Pan Gon definitely has a plan to achieve this," said Akmal, who reminded Harimau Malaya to adopt an aggressive approach to gain confidence and score early goals.
Despite the absence of several key players, including Faisal Halim and Arif Aiman Hanapi, Akmal said the Malaysian team performed well to hold world No. 100 Kyrgyzstan to a 1-1 draw in Bishkek.
"Players like Faisal and Arif possess the agility to penetrate the opponent's defence, but Akhyar (Rashid) and Dion Cools on the flanks covered up well for them against Kyrgyzstan.
"However, the team must reinforce their attacking lineup against Taiwan to score the goals," he said.
Akmal believes Malaysia should play with two players upfront with their support of the midfielders Endrick Dos Santos and Syamer Kutty Abba for depth against Taiwan.
He also suggested tactical adjustments, such as positioning Dos Santos closer to the striker and utilising Safawi Rasid as a backup striker if needed.
"If the team score two or three goals in the first half against Taiwan, it would significantly boost their confidence for the second half," Akmal added.