For the second time in just five days, Malaysia and Cape Verde will go head-to-head in a friendly encounter behind closed doors at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The previous meeting ended in a closely-fought 1-1 draw last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, in a match that told a tale of two halves, with the Blue Sharks striking early before Harimau Malaya clawed their way back late on.
Match preview
© Imago
Malaysia entered last week's clash still buzzing from recent positive results, and despite falling behind after just nine minutes when Sidny Lopes Cabral struck home for the visitors, the hosts showed persistence to turn the tide after the break.
Substitute striker Paulo Josue stepped up with the equaliser in the 79th minute to rescue Peter Cklamovski's side and nearly completed the turnaround moments later, only to squander a glorious opportunity that could have sealed a memorable win.
That gritty showing means the national team have now stretched their unbeaten streak to three matches, having previously held Thailand to a goalless draw in the ASEAN Championship and secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Nepal in their final round Asian Cup qualifier.
Sitting second in Group F of the continental championship preliminaries, level on points but trailing on goal difference with just one game played, Tuesday's clash offers a valuable opportunity for the squad to build rhythm and confidence ahead of their crucial outing against group leaders Vietnam on June 10.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Cape Verde are in the middle of a short friendly tour – with a meeting against Georgia still to come on Sunday – and will take plenty of encouragement from a run that has now seen them avoid defeat in three successive outings, including back-to-back victories in their recent World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Blue Sharks edged Mauritius 1-0 before grinding out a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Angola in Luanda, results which have helped them climb to the summit of Group D.
One point ahead of Cameroon and with four crucial qualifiers left to navigate, Bubista's side will be keen to maintain this upward trajectory, with Tuesday's meeting presenting a chance to fine-tune tactics before returning to competitive action in September.
A trip to Mauritius awaits them after the summer break, followed by a potentially pivotal clash at home to Cameroon just seven days later, while their journey will conclude with a doubleheader in October against Libya and Eswatini.
Team News
© Imago
Malaysia head coach Cklamovski expressed satisfaction with his side's display on Thursday, and with no fresh injury concerns, the 3-4-3 formation used in that match could be retained once again.
While a few adjustments might be made to offer chances to others, the most likely change would be to hand a start to Josue, whose composed finish in the first game strengthens his case for inclusion from the off.
Newly naturalised and fresh off his debut in that fixture, Gabriel Palmero may keep his place in the three-man defensive line, having shown enough promise to warrant another look.
Meanwhile, Cape Verde head coach Bubista was also pleased with the outcome, placing emphasis on the team's evolving structure following the introduction of 12 debutants in Thursday's game.
Among the new faces was Heri Tavares, who operated out wide, while skipper Ryan Mendes added to his cap tally by making his 84th appearance, although he was unable to increase his international goal haul of 21.
Malaysia possible starting lineup:
Hazmi; Palmero, Shamsul, Haikal; Ting, Faiz, Laine, Davies; Aiman, Josue, Amir
Cape Verde possible starting lineup:
Vozinha; Moreira, Lopes, Almeida, L. Cabral; Duarte, A. Tavares; Mendez, Timas, H. Tavares; J. Cabral
We say: Malaysia 0-1 Cape Verde
Ranked 72nd in the world, Cape Verde are tipped to edge past their 131st-placed hosts this time around, and although Malaysia will aim to compete once more, the visitors' quality may well shine through.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
