Harimau Malaya – Tiga Kali di Piala Asia

Malaysia layak ke Piala Asia buat kali pertama pada tahun 1976. Setelah menduduki tempat pertama Kumpulan 4 di pusingan kelayakan, Malaysia diundi ke Kumpulan A bersama Kuwait dan China. 

Mokhtar Dahari, selaku kapten baharu pasukan, menjadi wira Harimau Malaya apabila beliau menjaringkan gol tunggal mereka ketika menentang China. Namun, pasukan China berjaya menyamakan kedudukan dan perlawanan tamat dengan skor seri 1–1. Sebelum itu, Malaysia tewas 2-0 di tangan Kuwait. Setelah berada di tempat terakhir kumpulan, Malaysia gagal mara ke peringkat seterusnya. 

Empat tahun kemudian, Malaysia kembali ke Piala Asia 1980 untuk kali kedua berturut-turut. Kelayakan Harimau Malaya ke Piala Asia dan Sukan Olimpik pada tahun yang sama telah membuktikan bahawa mereka adalah antara pasukan yang paling hebat di rantau Asia. 

Pada perlawanan pertama, Malaysia mempamerkan saingan yang hebat dan dapat mengimbangi permainan pantas dan agresif Korea Selatan. Setelah seri tanpa jaringan pada separuh masa pertama, pasukan lawan berjaya menjaringkan gol pertama menerusi Choi Soon-ho. Namun, pemain muda Zulkifle Hamzah yang menggantikan Abdullah Ali menyamakan kedudukan sejurus sebelum wisel penamat dibunyikan. 

Zulkifle juga berjaya menghasilkan gol apabila menentang Kuwait. Perlawanan tersebut menyaksikan Kuwait diberikan dua tendangan penalti akan mereka akhirnya menang 3-1. Selepas itu, Malaysia meraikan satu-satunya kemenangan Piala Asia mereka setelah menewaskan UAE 2–0. Pasukan kebangsaan mendahului perlawanan melalui jaringan daripada Abdah Alif pada minit ke-30 sebelum Tukamin Bahari menyumbat gol kedua mereka pada minit ke-89. 

Krisis kecederaan melanda Harimau Malaya sebelum perlawanan kumpulan terakhir mereka dan mereka kehilangan kapten Soh Chin Ann dan pemain tengah Bakri Ibni. Shukor Salleh, sebagai kapten gantian, terpaksa tukar posisi dari tengah padang ke kubu pertahanan Malaysia. Perubahan skuad menyebabkan serangan Malaysia lemah berbanding dengan persembahan mereka sebelum itu. Tukamin sekali lagi menjaringkan gol pada minit ke-34 tetapi perlawanan mereka menentang Qatar berkesudahan 1–1. Malaysia akhirnya menduduki tempat ketiga dalam kumpulan A dan terlepas peluang untuk mara ke peringkat separuh akhir. 

27 tahun kemudian, skuad negara kembali ke Piala Asia 2007 setelah layak selaku tuan rumah bersama Indonesia, Thailand dan Vietnam. Ini merupakan kali pertama dalam sejarah bola sepak di mana empat negara bergabung untuk menganjurkan kejohanan besar. Ia juga merupakan kali pertama pasukan dibahagikan berdasarkan ranking dunia FIFA untuk memastikan pengundian adil. Malaysia diundi ke dalam Kumpulan C bersama Iran, Uzbekistan dan China. Malaysia tewas dalam semua perlawanan mereka. Namun begitu, Indra Putra Mahayuddin berjaya menjaringkan gol tunggal semasa menentang China. 

Harimau Malaya kini kembali bersaing di Piala Asia 2023, menamatkan penantian selama 43 tahun untuk layak secara merit. Kempen pasukan negara bermula dalam tiga hari pada 15 Januari menentang Jordan, diikuti Bahrain pada 20 Januari dan Korea Selatan pada 25 Januari. 

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Malaysia qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time in 1976. After topping the Group 4 leaderboard during the qualification round, Malaysia was placed in Group A with Kuwait and China. 

Newly appointed captain Mokhtar Dahari became the team’s hero after scoring the only goal for Harimau Malaya during the tournament during their match with China. However, it was not enough as China managed to equalise, ending the match 1-1. Previously, Malaysia lost 2–0 at the hands of Kuwait. Now bottom of the group, Malaysia unfortunately did not advance to the knockout stage.

Four years later, Malaysia were back at the 1980 Asian Cup, making it their second consecutive time at the tournament. Qualifying for the Asian Cup and the Olympic Games in the same year proved that Harimau Malaya was one of the more formidable teams in the Asian region. 

In their first group match, Malaysia held up well against South Korea’s fast and aggressive play. After a scoreless first half, South Korea managed to land the first goal in the 69th minute through Choi Soon-ho. However, substitute Zulkifle Hamzah, who replaced Abdullah Ali turned the match into a draw with a header just before the final whistle blew. 

Zulkifle scored again in their next match against Kuwait but with two penalties given to their opponents, Malaysia suffered a 3–1 loss. Things were looking up as Malaysia defeated UAE 2–0, which remains their only winning match in Asian Cup history. The national team took the lead through a shot by Abdah Alif in the 30th minute before Tukamin Bahari gave them their second goal in the 89th minute. 

For their last match, Harimau Malaya found themselves struck with injury, losing captain Soh Chin Ann and midfielder Bakri Ibni. With Shukor Salleh taking the helm as captain and moving to defence from midfield, the reshuffle led to a weaker attacking side. Tukamin Bahari did score first in the 34th minute but their match against Qatar ended in a 1–1 draw. Malaysia ended up third in the group and missed out the chance to advance to the semi-finals by a narrow margin. 

Malaysia returned to the Asian Cup 27 years later in 2007 qualifying as co-hosts. For the first time in football history, four countries joined forces to host a major tournament, which included Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. It was also the first time that teams were divided based on FIFA world rankings to ensure an even draw. Malaysia joined Iran, Uzbekistan and China in Group C. Malaysia lost all their matches but did manage to score a goal through Indra Putra Mahayuddin during their match against China. 

The national team are now back to compete for the 2023 Asian Cup, ending their 43-year wait to qualify on merit. Their campaign begins in three more days on January 15 against Jordan, followed by Bahrain on January 20 and South Korea on January 25.