New Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe hopes a positive start to his reign can help rebuild the national side's shattered confidence.
The Harimau Malaya went through the whole of 2017 without a victory, a period in which they fell out of contention for a place at the 2019 Asian Cup.
This year also saw the departure of two head coaches, with current under-23 boss Datuk Ong Kim Swee making way for Nelo Vingada. The Portuguese then quit last month after a seven-game run that brought six defeats and one draw.
The next scheduled game is a tough trip to Beirut to face Lebanon in the final AFC Asian Cup Group B qualifier on March 27.
But Tan hopes to set up a friendly before the match against the Cedars in order to try and restore the players' confidence.
"It would be good to get a test match against anyone before we play Lebanon," Tan told the New Straits Times.
"So far we have not identified any opponents yet but we are planning to have a few games next year.
"The important thing now is to get the confidence back among the players. The first match we play will be important which is why I am trying to find a suitable opponent before we play Lebanon."
With nothing but pride to play for in the match against the Lebanese, Tan admits his priority this year is the AFF Cup, which kicks off in November.
Tan knows all about success in the tournament, having been assistant to K. Rajagobal when the Harimau Malaya won their one and only title back in 2010.
However, he is reluctant to set ambitious targets at this stage, though he believes that the new format, which sees teams play each other home and away in the group stage, could work in Malaysia's favour.
"The AFF Cup is my main assignment but I don't have any target yet. I think that [the new format] could work to our advantage given the strong support of our own fans," Tan said.
"I'm sure they will want to come to watch and it's good opportunity for us to play on home soil."