Harimau Malaya coach Peter Cklamovski vows to pursue World Cup qualification, undeterred by the team’s failure to reach the 2027 Asian Cup finals

NATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski has reaffirmed his long-term vision to guide Harimau Malaya to the FIFA World Cup.

His commitment comes despite the crushing disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup finals, a setback he described as being beyond the team’s control.

“Since arriving here, I have truly fallen in love with this country,” Cklamovski told reporters after a training session.

He added that working with the players and staff had been a great experience.

The Australian coach admitted to processing the heartache of missing the Asian Cup, a short-term goal that was “ripped away”.

His contract with the Football Association of Malaysia is set to expire later this year.

Cklamovski hinted at his willingness to continue leading the team beyond the current term.

The squad is now preparing for its final Group F qualifier against Vietnam on March 31.

The match will be held at the Thien Truong Stadium in Ninh Binh.

The team will train in Bangkok from tomorrow until Friday before travelling to Nam Dinh.

Cklamovski also explained notable absences from the squad for the upcoming fixture.

Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Bergson da Silva and Kuala Lumpur City’s Giancarlo Gallifuoco were omitted due to late registration issues.

Both import players were reportedly completing a five-year stay for naturalisation.

“Basically, I got updated that their registration won’t be done in time for them to be available for the game,” he said.

JDT’s Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Mendez was also ruled out due to an injury sustained in his last club match.

 The Sun Malaysia