Experience still key for youthful Malaysia as Paulo Josué inspires comeback

Experience still key for youthful Malaysia as Paulo Josué inspires comeback reports that Malaysia entered the ASEAN Championship, known as the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, amid major governance changes after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was found guilty of using falsified documents to make foreign-born players eligible. Although former coach Peter Cklamovski was not implicated, his abrupt departure in June left a leadership gap right before the tournament. The FAM appointed technical director Tan Cheng Hoe on an interim basis for a second spell, assembling a squad with limited experience: nine of 26 players had yet to play senior international football, and ten had fewer than 10 caps. In their Group B opener away to Myanmar in Yangon, captain Paulo Josué—aged 37 and with only his 30th cap for Malaysia, following citizenship granted in 2023—scored to equalize in the 52nd minute and then converted a penalty five minutes later to deliver a 2-1 comeback win at Thuwunna Stadium.