KUALA LUMPUR: National football team captain Dominic Tan has admitted that Vietnam is a threat to Malaysia in their bid to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Harimau Malaya are drawn in Group F of the Asian Cup qualifiers with Vietnam, Nepal and Laos.
Centreback Dominic said that his team are determined to do well in the qualifying round which begins in March next year.
"All international matches are tough, especially against Vietnam, who are one of the football powerhouses in Southeast Asia," said the Sabah defender.
"This will be a challenge for every player but we aim to deliver our best performance throughout the qualification campaign."
Outgoing national team interim coach Pau Marti Vicente believes the team have the quality to qualify to the Asian Cup.
"I've said many times that this team is not newly formed. They have grown and shown significant improvement.
"After nearly four years together, the players have reached a level of maturity, and I believe they have the potential to qualify for the Asian Cup for a second consecutive time."
The last edition of the Asian Cup saw Harimau Malaya ending a 43-year wait to appear in the continental showpiece by qualifiyng for the 2023 event in Qatar. The team, coached by South Korean Kim Pan Gon, however failed to get past the group stage.