Kuala Lumpur: Akhyar Rashid is hoping Malaysia can repeat the feat of 2010 and lift the AFF Suzuki Cup as the Malayan Tigers prepare to face off with Myanmar in their crucial final Group A fixture on Saturday.

Malaysia sit a point behind Myanmar and realistically need a victory at Bukit Jalil National Stadium to advance to the semi-finals for the first time since 2014 after losing their last outing 2-0 to Vietnam.

Akhyar started his first game of the campaign against the Vietnamese after coming off the bench in his side’s comeback win over Laos on Matchday Two, and the 19-year-old will hope to get the call once more ahead of the group’s deciding match.

“Our performances so far have been okay, and all the players have been fully committed,” said Akhyar . “Of course there is a bit of pressure for tomorrow’s match, but it doesn’t affect us mentally.

“We know that we need to win to advance to the semi-finals, so we are all focussed on that. We will give our best in the next match and play with all our heart.”

Akhyar  was just 11 years old when Malaysia won their first and, to date, only AFF Suzuki Cup, in 2010, after seeing off Indonesia 4-2 on aggregate in the final following a 3-0 first-leg win in front of almost 100,000 spectators at Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

Since then, the Malaysians reached the semi-finals in 2012 and finished as runners-up to Thailand in 2014, but suffered a disappointed group stage exit two years ago when Saturday’s opponents secured a late win in Yangon to seal qualification.

A new crop of players have emerged in recent times, though, and Akhyar was part of the team that progressed to the quarter-finals of the AFC U23 Championship in China in January and then qualified for the last 16 of the Asian Games in August, only to suffer a last-gasp defeat to Japan.

“In my opinion, this is a very good generation for Malaysia and better than what we have had in recent years, when I don’t think we have shown the real Malaysia,” added the midfielder.

“I was still very young in 2010 but I remember the first leg of the final, when we won 3-0. I was really proud of my country and, from then, it was my dream to one day play in the AFF Suzuki Cup.

“If all our players are fully committed and we have the backing of our fans, then I hope we can repeat the story of 2010. The stadium will be full and our supporters give us the spirit we need to do even better than in our previous matches."