KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya coach Pau Marti Vicente declared his team are ready to face world No. 95 New Zealand after a 1-1 draw with A-League side Auckland FC in a practice match today.
The closed-door friendly at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, saw the club side, formed only six months ago, take the lead through Francis de Vries in the 25th minute.
However, Finnish-Malaysian midfielder Nooa Laine equalised in the 59th minute.
Though the match wasn't a full 90-minute affair, Vicente believes it provided an ideal warm-up for world No. 132 Malaysia ahead of their friendly against the All Whites at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, on Monday.
"We had a strong game against a newly formed A-League club who have made huge investments to strengthen their squad," said Vicente.
"It was a valuable sparring session, and we expect a similarly physical, fast-paced and high-intensity game when we face New Zealand in the friendly."
Although Malaysia conceded first through a deflected goal, Vicente was satisfied with how his team responded.
"We showed our competitive edge," he said, praising his players' dedication and commitment throughout the match.
"I'm pleased with the team's performance today. This was an important test as we build up to Monday's game."
The Harimau Malaya squad will focus on recovery tomorrow before ramping up preparations with a full training session on Sunday.
New Zealand, buoyed by yesterday's 3-0 victory over Tahiti in a World Cup qualifier, are expected to be highly motivated against Malaysia.