10/06/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | JUNE 10, 2026

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Title favourites & dark horses The World Cup promises a clash of football’s most complete and dangerous teams

Akmal’s top three for World Cup glory Ű BY ZUJ AHSAN

W ITH the 2026 Fifa World Cup Finals set to kick off on June 12 (3am Malaysian time), a heated debate is raging over which team will lift the world’s most prestigious football trophy on July 19. Although reigning champions

their peak development, such as Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. Mohamad Nizam said that this, coupled with the team’s squad depth and tactical stability, makes Spain the most balanced outfit heading into the 23rd edition of the World Cup Finals. Experienced local coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim, meanwhile, has named France and Argentina as his favourites for the title, based on the teams’ ability to adapt to the demands of modern football. He said for teams to succeed in major tourna ments these days, a lot depends of their ability to apply high pressing, quick transitions from defence to attack and field players capable of making the right decisions in high-intensity situations. Local sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli concurs. And he too has made France as his top pick to emerge triumphant for the third time after lifting the trophy in 1998 and 2018. According to Pekan, the greatest strength of the Les Blues , under the guidance of Didier Deschamps, lies in quality available throughout the squad – from the starting XI to those on the bench. Pekan has also trumpeted Japan’s chances of creating an upset and becom ing the tournament’s dark horses this time. “If we look at their international friendly results and performances over the past few years, Japan have defeated several higher ranked teams. They also rarely lose and have many players who are playing in Europe. “I believe Japan can go far this time based on their previous achievements. The

best midfield lineups. World-class mid fielder Rodri provides stability and compo sure in the engine room, while Pedri pulls the strings and dictates the tempo of the game. “Their ability to dominate

possession, create space and control the tempo of the game make them a tough team to beat in high-intensity tourna ments,” the former Head of Sports Science and Performance Analyst of Sabah FC from 2021 to 2023 to Bernama . He said, Spain, who lifted the World Cup in 2010, are fur ther strengthened by a group of young players who are reaching

FRANCE, Brazil and Portugal are the three teams best positioned to lift the World Cup based on current player form, says former national striker Akmal Rizal Rakhli. With all participating nations having announced their final squads for the tour nament, Akmal believes the trio possess the quality, depth and balance needed to go all the way. According to him, France remain among the strongest contenders due to the abundance of attacking options avail able to the squad. “If you ask me, my three favourites to win the World Cup are France, Brazil and Portugal,” Akmal said when contacted by theSun . “The players in these teams are cur rently in very good form. France especially have incredible strength in attack. It’s not just a front three. They have five, six or even seven players capable of playing at the highest level in those attacking positions.” France will not be short of options to find the back of the net with superstars like Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue of PSG and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise available for Didier Deschamps’s team in the upcoming World Cup. While Brazil have not looked particu larly convincing in recent months, Akmal believes the South American giants should never be discounted. The former striker pointed to the blend of youth and experience within the squad, as well as the influence of head coach Carlo Ancelotti, as reasons why Brazil remain a serious contender. “Brazil may not have been very impres sive recently and they have a mixture of experienced and young players. “But I trust Ancelotti. He is a very expe rienced coach and knows how to bring players together. I believe Brazil can achieve their objective of returning as one of the main contenders to win the World Cup.” Akmal, however, admitted he was unconvinced by the decision to include Neymar in the squad. The former Santos and Barcelona star recently returned from injury struggles but remains one of Brazil’s most recognisable figures. “I am not entirely in agreement with Neymar’s inclusion because there are other players who have been more com petitive throughout the season. “At the same time, perhaps his pres ence is important because of the aura he brings. He can serve as a guide and mentor for the younger players in the team.” Interestingly, Akmal, like another for mer national player Khairul Fahmi Che Mat also identified Japan as a dark horse capa ble of upsetting some of football’s elite nations. The former striker said that the Asian side have consistently improved in recent years and boast a squad dominated by players competing in Europe’s top leagues. “I think Japan are the team that can sur prise many people. When you look at their squad and some of their recent results, they have already shocked several big countries.” With France, Brazil and Portugal among his favourites and Japan tipped as a poten tial giant-killer, Akmal expects an intensely competitive tournament where squad depth and consistency will ultimately determine who lifts football’s biggest prize.

Argentina are still considered among the title favourites, most football observers and analysts view Spain and France as pos sessing the most balanced squads and are best equipped to go far at the tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Nizam Nazarudin, a senior lec turer in Sports and Recreation at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), has Spain as the frontrunner for the coveted title based on current per formance, tactical stability and the right balance between youth and experience. He said their triumphs in the 2023 Nations Cup and Euro 2024 proved that the La Roja outfit, under the guid ance of Luis de la Fuente, pos sess a well-established playing system and the ability to main tain consistently high perform ance levels. “Tactically, Spain have one of the

other big teams had better be wary of this dark horse,” he said. – Bernama

Local sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli. – BERNAMAFILEPIC

Nova weighs new combinations after Ee Wei injury setback

Aaron-Kai Wun partnership beckons NATIONAL men’s doubles shuttler Tee Kai Wun is open to the coaching team’s plan to pair him with Aaron Chia. Although ready to partner Aaron, Kai Wun views it as a new challenge in his career as he teams up with a player who made history by becoming the first Malaysian world champion along side Soh Wooi Yik at the 2022 edition. “I found out about it two weeks ago and was surprised (to be paired with Aaron). “I’m an all-round player and I think I can adapt to anyone. It’s a new challenge for me,”he said after a training session yesterday. The 26-year-old also described Aaron as a high-quality player. He said Aaron possesses excellent shot-making abilities and handles pressure well in crucial moments. “Aaron is a good player. If given the opportunity, I will defi nitely continue learning from him,” he said. Aaron and Kai Wun previously won the gold medal for Melaka at the 2018 Malaysia Games and also partnered each other dur ing the 2026 Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, against Japan in the Group B tie. Last Saturday, Badminton Association of Malaysia president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz confirmed that Aaron would partner Kai Wun, while Wooi Yik would team up with Man Wei Chong. Aaron-Kai Wun and Wooi Yik-Wei Chong are scheduled to compete at the Japan Open in Tokyo from July 14 to 19. – Bernama

INJURY to national mixed doubles num ber one Toh Ee Wei has disrupted head coach Nova Widianto’s plans for the 2026 World Championships and 2026 Asian Games campaigns. Nova, however, said the situation is unavoidable and the team must be ready with alternative strategies to ensure Ee Wei’s partner, Chen Tang Jie, can still compete with other partners if needed. “Of course, this situation affects our preparations as we are getting closer to the World Championships and the Asian Games. “But in badminton, such situations are normal and as coaches we must be prepared with alternatives,” he told reporters after a training session yester day. Recently, the Badminton Association of Malaysia confirmed that Ee Wei suf fered a partial tear of the anterior cruci ate ligament in her left knee during the Singapore Open quarterfinals. The World Championships will be

held in New Delhi from Aug 17-23, while the Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, are scheduled from Sept 19 to Oct 4. Nova said the team is still waiting to determine whether Ee Wei will require surgery following her injury. The Indonesian coach added that Tang Jie will temporarily be paired with Clarissa San at the China Open in Jiangsu from July 21-26. He said Clarissa was chosen as she has been the most oustanding junior player recently and will benefit from exposure at top-level tournaments. Nova also admitted he has to speed up the assessment process for another new pairing, Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin, who are now seen as one of the country’s key backups should Ee Wei require a long layoff. However, Nova said the status of Jimmy-Su Yin is still not confirmed as he needs to evaluate their performances in upcoming tournaments, including the Australian Open in Sydney, which runs from yesterday until Sunday. – Bernama