Malaysia embracing AFF Cup as a chance to cement turnaround

Malaysian fans are usually a fairly pessimistic bunch, and not without reason when it comes to the national team.

Recent years have been disappointing, with coaches coming and going while the team slipped down FIFA rankings. There have been some rays of light of late, however, and if a young Malaysian team can give a decent showing at November's AFF Suzuki Cup, that could really get the fans believing that a corner has been turned.

But first, rewind to the end of 2017 -- with memories of a 2015...