KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will be gunning for revenge when they face Pakistan in their opening Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (SAS Cup) match on Saturday in Ipoh.
Pakistan denied Malaysia a semi-final spot in the Olympic Qualifiers in Muscat in January when the Speedy Tigers were held 3-3 by the former world champions, ending their chances of qualifying for the Paris Games.
Last year, Pakistan thrashed Malaysia 5-2 in a classification match during the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Midfielder Fitri Saari said he was unsure of Pakistan's strength as they have named a new-look team for the SAS Cup.
"However, we are focused on our preparations and not thinking about Pakistan. We want to win our opening game in the SAS Cup," said Fitri, who has 177 caps.
Pakistan, under the guidance of Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans, will be captained by Shakeel Butt. The Pakistan team will arrive in Ipoh on Friday.
Oltmans said: "I believe we will get good results in the SAS Cup if we play well."