DOHA: Harimau Malaya must earn three points or at least one against Bahrain in today's Asian Cup Group E match to silence critics questioning national coach Kim Pan Gon's strategy.
Criticism arose after Pan Gon's tactics were scrutinised following the 4-0 loss to Jordan in their opening game on Monday.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said : "Pan Gon has successfully improved Malaysia's quality and ranking (from No. 154 to No. 130) in just two years.
"I believe only he knows his strategy, despite the discussions on social media.
" I feel he is the only one who knows," said Hannah who met the national players in Doha on Friday.
In addition to the 26-member squad and coaches, a sizable FA of Malaysia (FAM) entourage, led by president Datuk Hamidin Amin, is in Doha, providing daily motivation and support to the team.
Malaysia are playing in the Asian Cup for the first time since the 2007 edition.
For the record, Malaysia have not won a match in the Asian Cup tournament proper since the 1980 edition when they defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-0 in a group match in Kuwait.
