KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya's road to the 2027 Asian Cup Finals looks promising following the third-round qualification draw at the AFC House in Bukit Jalil today.
Placed in Pot Two based on the Fifa world rankings on Nov 28, Malaysia (No. 132) will face world No. 116 Vietnam, Nepal (No. 175) and Laos (No.186) in Group F.
Only the group winners from the five pools will secure spots at the Asian Cup Finals in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
Vietnam, the highest-ranked team in Group F, have struggled recently, with a sharp drop in FIFA rankings from No. 94 to No. 116 within four months — marking their worst decline since 2018, when they were No. 102.
Historically, Malaysia have found it tough against Vietnam, recording just five wins in 23 meetings, while the Golden Star Warriors have won 15 times.
Harimau Malaya will open their Group F campaign against minnows Nepal on March 25 next year.
Malaysia are likely to enter the qualifiers under a new management setup.
Caretaker coach Pau Marti Vicente has announced his intention to step down after the ongoing Asean Cup.
The FA of Malaysia (FAM) is set to reveal details of the new national team management on Dec 15.
The third-round qualifiers will run from March 25, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
The teams already qualified for the tournament are hosts Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Qatar, the UAE, Japan, South Korea, Oman, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan.
Groupings
Group A: Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor Leste;
Group B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei;
Group C: India, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Bangladesh;
Group D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka;
Group E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan;
Group F: Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Laos.