SEPANG: Following the last-16 exit in the Indonesia Asian Games, the national Under-23 team will now focus on qualifying for the 2020 AFC Championship.
The qualifying tournament will be held in March.
Coach Ong Kim Swee, however, stressed that early planning is important to build a formidable squad for the challenge.
The former international disclosed that he has already spoken to FA of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Amin in regard to his team’s preparation plans for the qualifiers.
“We need to have a comprehensive plan to prepare the team and also have more friendly matches overseas. This year, we played eight matches, including those in the AFC Championship in January.
“A majority of the current team will still be eligible for the next AFC event, so we will have a strong side.
“I believe we can qualify for the 2020 AFC event which will be a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics,” said Kim Swee at KLIA on Saturday.
The top three teams in the AFC competition will qualify for the Olympics.
On Friday, Kim Swee’s side were edged 1-0 by Japan in the last-16 stage in Jakarta.
Although disappointed, Kim Swee is still proud of his players for doing well.
“We conceded in the final minute against Japan. We need to accept the defeat and move on. I believe we have closed the gap with teams like Japan and South Korea.
“The proudest moment in Indonesia was when we beat Korea, who had several players who were in their World Cup team,” Kim Swee added.