JAMAICA'S REGGAE Boyz will resume their battle for pride when they face 149th-ranked Malaysia at the MBPJ Stadium in Petaling Jaya at 7:30 a.m. (Jamaica time) tomorrow, with just two games remaining in what has so far proven to be a catastrophic tour of Asia.
The 22-man local-based squad is yet to register a victory. The Boyz opened with a 2-1 loss to Indonesia and then tumbled to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat against Vietnam in their last encounter. If there is any good news for the Jamaicans, it is that the Malaysian squad will be the lowest-ranked team the Boyz, currently No. 68, will face on the tour.
However, despite the disparity in ranking between the teams, with the Malaysians being ranked 81 places below the Jamaicans, the hosts will field an experienced side.
In a bid to reach the knockout rounds in the Asia Cup, which has seen Malaysia placed in a highly-competitive Group C, their coach, Norizan Bakar, has called up the best players available.
Without a win in their past six international friendlies and in the midst of a three-game slide, the Jamaica team, under new coach Velibor Milutinovic, is desperately in need of a win.
Jamaica will complete their Asian tour against Iran, a team currently ranked 47th on July 2.