Malaysia's group in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers contains three strong teams who appeared at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, two of whom could embarrass them over the next week.
After just a point from their opening two home games, including a 6-0 humbling by Palestine, Harimau Malaya travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), before hosting Saudi Arabia.
Here are three thoughts from Kuala Lumpur about the games ahead:
1. Malaysia must tighten up defensively
Six-goal maulings in Oman and against Palestine have persuaded Malaysia coach Dollah Salleh to consider something alien to his football DNA -- defensive football.
In the weekend's goalless draw against Bangladesh, former striker Dollah tried a three-man central defence, supported by S. Kunanlan and Zubir Azmi as wing-backs.
The result was a far tighter display than seen in recent matches.
And with attacking play during the recent five match winless spell at a premium, not too much was sacrificed going forward.
The system would seem to be the best to compensate for the lack of real pace of Amirizdwan Taj, Junior Eldstal and Afif Amiruddin. It also enables Dollah to select a team with a physical presence that Malaysia have lacked in recent years.
Ironically, the system would seem to be perfectly suited for the dropped duo of Muslim Ahmad and Fadhli Shas. Whoever gets the nod at centre-back, the pace of Kunanlan and Zubir should help close down the gaps, providing they are assisted by their central and wide midfielders.
It may not be fun to watch. But the approbation that followed the 6-0 loss to Palestine was such that Dollah would be fully justified in opting for a smaller defeat in this qualifier rather than a hammering that might put his position under further pressure.
It is asking too much to expect a win in the UAE -- or against Saudi Arabia -- but an improved defensive performance and competitive edge is the least the Malaysian fans can demand.
2. Beware of striker Ali Mabkhout
UAE's fine run to the semifinals at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup belied their FIFA World Ranking of 70. But any team who have a striker scoring at a rate of better than two goals every three games will have a chance of producing a positive result.
24-year-old Al Jazira striker, Ali Mabkhout, won the Golden Boot in Australia. Twenty five international goals in 37 appearances -- including five at the Asian Cup -- mark him as a special talent.
Ably assisted by highly-rated playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and free-scoring strike partner Ahmed Khalil, Mabkhout's UAE pose a real attacking threat. The extra motivation for UAE is that, as hosts for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, they are building a team to peak in three years' time.
In Malaysia's favour is that UAE's results since the AFC Cup have been less than spectacular. A 3-0 loss in Korea followed by 1-0 wins at Timor-Leste (World Cup qualifier) and Myanmar (friendly) suggest they have lost a little of their potency.
Even so, they present a formidable barrier in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night.
3. Al Sahlawi is back for Saudi Arabia
Al Nasser's Mohammad Al Sahlawi has burst onto the international stage in 2015 after being recalled to the squad after a three-year hiatus.
The young Al Sahlawi was recognised in his teenage years as a real talent. A record transfer between Saudi Arabian clubs in 2009 saw him move from Al Qadisiyah to Al Nasser. After scoring 21 goals in his first season at Al Nasser, his early promise looked to be maturing, but he struggled to find favour at national level.
It took until the 2015 Asian Cup for Al Sahlawi to translate his free-scoring domestic form into games for Saudi Arabia. He grabbed three goals in three matches in Australia before carrying the same finishing into subsequent games against Jordan and Palestine -- the latter was a World Cup qualifier -- with two goals in each match.
At 5-foot-11, the 28-year-old has a physical presence and the clinical skills of a top striker. In the Saudi Premier League he averages better than a goal per game.
Given that the Green Falcons put three goals past Palestine -- who would subsequently thrash Malaysia 6-0 -- Al Sahlawi could make things ugly unless Dollah Salleh's team are defensively vigilant.