KUALA LUMPUR: For most of the national players who featured in the 2007 Asian Cup, it was a tournament to forget. Hosts Malaysia were beaten 2-0 by Iran, hammered 5-1 by China and 5-0 by Uzbekistan.
But Safee Sali, who was a member of that team, looks at it differently. He said Malaysia's humiliation sparked a determination in him to make things better.
Safee and his teammates vowed to rise again, and this led to Harimau Malaya winning the 2010 AFF Cup.
"Playing in the Asian Cup was an eye-opener for all of us, and the defeats were a hard lesson for Malaysian football," said Safee, who was a 23-year-old star striker with Kuala Lumpur in 2007.
"The opponents (in the 2007 Asian Cup) were on a different level. They were physically better and fitter, even their thinking was much faster compared to us.
"We were humiliated and we became the butt of jokes. It was a painful episode for me personally and after that, I made a promise to myself that I won't let the team down.
"Things changed after that Asian Cup. We bounced back to win the AFF Cup," said Safee, who earned the moniker Super Safee by adoring fans. He retired in February.
Safee said the present national team could be the dark horses at next month's Asian Cup in Qatar.
World No. l30 Malaysia, making a return to the Asian Cup on merit after 42 years, will play No. 87 Jordan on Jan 15, No. 86 Bahrain on Jan 20 and No. 23 South Korea on Jan 25 in Group E.
Safee said the inclusion of naturalised players plus the presence of quality local players has made the national team stronger.
He, however, said Malaysia fans need to have realistic expectations for the Asian Cup.
"I believe the national team can challenge higher-ranked teams. We have players who have experience from playing aboard, like Dion (Cools) and several naturalised players.
"We have seen the national team beating higher-ranked teams, so, we can surprise in Qatar.
"The players must try to close the gap with the established teams. They need to adapt fast and stay free from injuries during the tournament. If we have good teamwork, we can achieve things.
"We have to keep in mind that we have only qualified for the Asian Cup after so long. We should not think of it as a completed mission."
