KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- On paper, Malaysia can't have asked for a better start to the ongoing ASEAN Championship -- officially known as the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup.
Although they were made to work for it, they were still able to come from behind and beat Myanmar 2-1 in their opener at the weekend -- which they followed up on Tuesday with a convincing 4-0 rout of Laos to maintain their perfect start to Group B.
Claiming the maximum six points from their opening two games was the bare minimum requirement, considering tougher tests are expected on the horizon in the form of the tournament's record seven-time champions Thailand and 2024 semifinalists Philippines.
Yet, despite the handsome victory against the Laotians, it seems as though there is still a level or two Harimau Malaya have to ascend to in order to prove they are truly a side that could contend for the title -- or at least be expected to be thereabouts in the final four.
Because, all throughout Tuesday's game at Kuala Lumpur Stadium there were so many nearly moments -- especially in the opening period.
They might even have been under more pressure had it not been for captain Paulo Josué picking the most opportune of moments to break the deadlock right on the stroke of halftime for his third goal of the campaign, following on from his match-changing brace against Myanmar.
The majority of the Malaysia-supporting 10,044 in attendance were unable to stifle their groans throughout the first 45 minutes.
It wasn't that their team were playing poorly. It was just that almost everything they produced was just off by the smallest of margins.
A pass that ended up narrowly behind a teammate who would otherwise have been steaming forward in full stride. A miscontrol of the ball that just allowed an opposition player to put in a tackle. Or an accidental or unnecessarily-extra touch during a dribble that halted a promising of play as the ball trickled harmlessly out for a goalkick after Malaysia had reached deep in the attacking third.
With all due respect to Laos, who are the tournament's second-lowest placed team in the current FIFA world rankings, Malaysia were always likely to score more once they got their first.
Endrick added a second in the 57th minute from another assist by player-of-the-match G. Parvithran, who already looks a real prospect for Malaysia even if he curiously is yet to make his professional debut at club level at the age of 21.
Another enterprising foray down the left forced Viengxay Sidavong into an own-goal nine minutes later, while the performance was capped off six minutes from time when new arrival Wan Kuzain -- in only his second international appearance -- came off the bench to open his international account with a superb freekick.
Malaysia's display was not without its positives and credit has to go to interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe, who was only handed the role a month ago as he juggles his new responsibilities with his preexisting technical director role following the abrupt departure of Peter Cklamovski.
Especially so given he hasn't been helped by the unavailability of numerous seasoned campaigners, with the squad he has selected consisting of nine players who entered the tournament yet to win their first senior cap.
Even then, as one of Southeast Asia's prouder footballing nations -- and given their status as former champions in 2010 -- Malaysia will be expected to reach the semis at least, hardly an unrealistic goal considering the other group is widely acknowledged as the tougher of the two.
The fact that Philippines, who were expected to be battling with Malaysia for second spot behind the Thais, suffered a shock 4-1 loss to Myanmar in their own campaign opener on Tuesday means the advantage now lies with Harimau Malaya.
They might not even need to improve that drastically to reach the last four. Still, they also look so close to being a formidable presence at the tournament.
If they could just find that extra inch or metre in each aspect of their play, it might even all add up to them being an outside title chance -- even if it might not have been expected of them after their troubled build-up to the tournament.