Josue urges Malaysia to keep pursuing World Cup qualification
The veteran midfielder sees Asian Cup qualification as a more achievable goal, with squad strength and player fitness key to Malaysia’s prospects.
Veteran midfielder Paulo Josue has urged Malaysia to retain their World Cup ambitions after their previous qualifying bid ended one point short of reaching the third round. The 37-year-old said another challenge was possible if the team could field a strong, fit squad.
Malaysia collected 10 points to finish third in Group D during the second round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Kyrgyzstan finished one point ahead and progressed with Oman, who topped the group.
A 4-3 home victory over Kyrgyzstan and a 1-1 away draw earned Malaysia four points against those opponents, but they lost both fixtures against Oman. Josue said the campaign demonstrated Malaysia’s ability to compete and offered grounds for confidence in their next attempt.
Malaysia’s preparations for their next qualifying campaign include Tier 1 international friendlies against China on Nov 14 and Yemen on Nov 17. Both matches will take place at the Zhaoqing New District Sports Center Stadium in Guangdong.
Josue acknowledged the difficulty posed by strong Asian opposition. He regarded reaching the Asian Cup as a more attainable objective, saying Malaysia would have a strong chance if they retained their squad and players remained healthy.
