KUALA LUMPUR: Coach Juan Torres Garrido believes his national youth team have toughened up after recent matches in China, ahead of the Under-20 Asian Cup qualifiers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from Sept 21-29.
Malaysia are in Group E, alongside hosts Tajikistan, Oman, North Korea and Sri Lanka.
At the recent Team China International Friendly Competition in Changsha, Garrido's side lost all three matches — 2-0 to Uzbekistan, 1-0 to China and 2-1 to Vietnam.
However, Malaysia fielded an Under-19 squad for the Under-21 tournament.
Garrido said his team gained valuable insight from the matches in China.
"It was a useful outing, and my players were exposed to high-intensity matches," said Garrido before departing for Dushanbe with his players from KLIA today.
"I am quite satisfied, but at this stage, it's about gaining experience through tournaments."
Meanwhile, defender Ariff Safwan Safri is optimistic ahead of the qualifiers.
"Our gameplay is solid, but we lack finishing. We must convert our scoring chances. The chemistry between players is good," he told Bernama.
Ariff added that it is crucial to get a positive result in their first game to boost morale.
Malaysia will kick off their campaign against Oman on Sept 21, followed by matches against North Korea (Sept 23), Tajikistan (Sept 27) and Sri Lanka (Sept 29) at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe.
The 10 group winners, along with the five best second-placed teams and hosts China, will play in the Under-20 Asian Cup in February next year.