JAKARTA: Harimau Malaya's two Tier 1 international friendlies against China next month will give interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe a chance to identify players for the national team's future.
Beyond chasing FIFA ranking points, Cheng Hoe sees the matches in Guangzhou as valuable tests against a team who have qualified for the Asian Cup.
He said China's strength and experience at Asian level would help the coaching staff assess their options and build a more competitive squad.
"For me, this is good planning by the management. We know China have qualified for the Asian Cup and have their own strengths," said Cheng Hoe.
"These matches will help us prepare the team for the future. We hope they will give us an opportunity to identify players we can count on going forward."
