PETALING JAYA, Harimau Malaya left-back Daniel Ting is ready to take on a more attacking role to make up for the absence of several wingers in the two crucial Group D matches in the second round of the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers this month.
While he may face competition for the position, the 31-year-old said he does not mind playing as a wing-back if head coach Kim Pan Gon wants him to do so as he’s used to playing further up the pitch for Sabah FC.
‘I’ve played a more attacking and higher role with Sabah, but we also have other younger players coming through, so I feel like we’ve got a lot of options to replace the missing boys,’ he told reporters at the training session here today.
The national team have been plagued by injuries, with wingers Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi; strikers Darren Lok, Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad and Romel Morales; and first-choice goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed all on the crock list.
Despite the setback, Daniel remains optimistic about Ma
laysia’s chances of securing all three points in the June 6 match against Kyrgyzstan at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek.
Daniel said world number 138 Malaysia had demonstrated their ability in the 4-3 victory against the world number 100 Kyrgyzstan when they met at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last November.
‘We can’t go there (to Bishkek) thinking that we’re going to lose. Of course, we want to win every single game, so we’ve got to go there (with a) positive (mindset).
‘We’ve been working hard in training this week. Now, the whole team is together, so we can really get down and work on the tactics set by the coach,’ he said.
After the match against Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia will conclude their Group D campaign by hosting Taiwan at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 11.
After four matches, Malaysia are in third spot in the four-team standings with six points. Kyrgyzstan sit atop the table with nine points, with Oman (nine points) second on goal difference and Taiwan last with no points
.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency