Malaysia's team is more dangerous when they are underestimated.

Kim Sang Sik's squad must keep in mind: Malaysia poses the greatest threat when they are considered underdogs. This is a historical lesson we must remember.

When recalling the most successful period of Malaysian football, one cannot overlook the "extraordinary" K. Rajagopal. Under his guidance, Malaysia won the SEA Games gold medal in 2009 and later claimed the AFF Cup in 2010. A notable commonality is that before both achievements, Malaysia was not a top contender.

At the 2007 SEA Games, Malaysia failed to advance past the group stage in men's football. Two years later, they lost to Vietnam in the group stage, but they grew tougher as the tournament progressed, exemplified by a comeback 2-1 victory over Thailand with two goals in the last 10 minutes. Notably, that Thailand team featured Kawin Thamsatchanan, Theerathon Bunmathan, and Teerasil Dangda. When they met Vietnam again in the final, Malaysia won 1-0 thanks to an own goal by defender Mai Xuan Hop.

A year later, a similar story unfolded at the 2010 AFF Cup. Malaysia had been eliminated in the group stage of the 2008 AFF Cup, so they were not considered contenders. In that tournament's group stage, they advanced to the semifinals with only 4 points from three matches. However, the Malaysians then eliminated defending champions Vietnam and subsequently defeated Indonesia to claim the Southeast Asian crown.

For Vietnamese fans, the memory of the 2014 AFF Cup is still vivid. At that time, Malaysia under coach Dollah Salleh also only advanced from the group stage with 4 points after three matches. In the semifinals, they even lost 1-2 to Vietnam at Shah Alam Stadium. With that advantage, Vietnam - a team that had crushed Iran 4-1 at the 2014 Asian Games - was expected to reach the final. But that evening, Malaysia surprisingly won 4-2, thereby securing a spot in the final.

These stories highlight a clear characteristic of Malaysian football: Do not hastily underestimate them just because of an unimpressive start or a squad not highly rated. History does not determine results, but history can serve as a warning: Malaysia is often most frightening when no one considers them a frightening team.

And if the Vietnamese team forgets that, the memories of 2009, 2010, or 2014 could very well become a warning once again.