Malaysia vs Oman

Plenty is at stake at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium as Malaysia and Oman lock horns in a crunch 2026 World Cup qualifying Group D encounter.

Conceding two unanswered second-half goals condemned Malaysia to a 2-0 defeat at Oman last weekend, extending their dreadful losing H2H streak to four matches without scoring. As if that’s not troubling enough, the Malayan Tiger conceded 12 goals in that sequence, casting further doubt on their hopes of getting back on track. However, Kim Pan-gon’s hopes of becoming the first manager to guide Malaysia into their first World Cup finals are still alive following a two-game winning start to their Group D journey. But even though they commence this round level on points with second-placed Kyrgyzstan and table-topping Oman, for that matter, the hosts must improve their underwhelming form in 2024 (W1, D2, L3) to increase their chances of reaching the next qualifying stage.

Oman’s effort to reach the third phase for only the third time in their last seven World Cup qualifying campaigns and perhaps secure their first-ever appearance at the most prestigious tournament is still in limbo. Despite starting Matchday 4 as Group D pacesetters, the visitors can’t tuck themselves in a false sense of security, especially considering their only qualifying defeat came on the road. A fast start would go a long way to helping Jaroslav Silhavy’s side extend their flawless H2H record, as all three of their Group D fixtures have seen the winner on the day keep a clean sheet. Excluding the matches played on neutral ground, Oman have claimed five wins in eight away internationals since March 2023 (L3), beating their opposition ‘to nil’ on each occasion.