Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's run of five straight victories in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign is hoped will temporarily ease the off-field turmoil currently affecting the national football scene. National squad head coach Peter Cklamovski said the success of his players in maintaining an unbeaten record and topping the group standings is something that ought to be celebrated by Harimau Malaya supporters.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Cklamovski expressed pride in his team's commitment, emphasizing the difficulty of achieving international victories and maintaining an undefeated record. He highlighted the potential positive impact on young fans, expressing hope that the team's success would inspire children to aspire to play for Harimau Malaya.

Commenting further on the turmoil affecting the national squad, the Australian coach admitted that he too was affected, but stressed that his focus remained firmly on his duties as head coach. He acknowledged the frustration but maintained that his priority was to concentrate on his responsibilities, urging the nation to take pride in the players' performances both on and off the field.

The 1-0 victory over Nepal yesterday ensured that Malaysia maintained a perfect record after five matches and remained top of Group F with 15 points, followed by Vietnam in second place with nine points, Laos in third with three points, and Nepal at the bottom without a single point.

Yesterday, the FIFA Appeal Committee released a 63-page written explanation behind its decision to uphold sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven heritage players over document falsification issues. On the same day, FAM announced that it had decided to proceed with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following FIFA's latest report.