Sea of Malaysian football fans flood National Stadium

KUALA LUMPUR: Cloudy weather and a light drizzle did not deter fans from flocking to the National Stadium at Bukit Jalil here as the hours continue to tick away before Malaysia's second 2023 Asian Cup qualifier Group E match against Bahrain tonight.

As of 6 pm, fans sporting the yellow-and-black national jersey have flooded the stadium to support the Harimau Malaya squad, and were greeted by continuous drumming and cheering from Ultras Malaya, a group of fans known for their hardcore support of the national team.

Not left out of the fun, a group of Bahrain supporters decked in white and red were also spotted at the stadium.

Fans were allowed into the grounds of the National Stadium as early as 1 pm for the another Group E match between Bangladesh and Turkmenistan that began at 5.15 pm. The Bukit Jalil LRT station was especially busy today as many fans chose to use public transport to get to today's match.

Over 60,000 spectators are expected for tonight's match as over 61,000 tickets have been sold thus far and there is a carnival-like atmosphere at the stadium grounds, as traders ply a variety of wares to visitors and many side events going on until the kick-off at 9 pm.

Malaysia and Bahrain have started out well in the qualifiers, winning their first match against Turkmenistan 3-1 and Bangladesh 2-0 respectively here on Wednesday, and are tied with three points a piece at the top of Group E.

Kim Pan Gon's men are hoping to eke out at least a point from tonight's match to keep their hopes of qualifying to the 2023 Asia Cup alive while Bahrain is unlikely to entertain any thoughts of losing tonight.

Bahrain triumphed over Malaysia 2-0 the last time both teams met in May last year, so tonight's clash promises to be a very intense and interesting encounter for both teams.

-- BERNAMA