logo
Influx of fresh blood for Malaysia keeps Vietnam coach on guard

Influx of fresh blood for Malaysia keeps Vietnam coach on guard

The Star2 days ago

Coach Kim Sang-sik (right)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Vietnam football squad know the significance of their next battle against a new-look Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier and they are not leaving anything to chance.
Vietnam coach Kim Sang-sik is aware of the five new mixed-heritage players in the Harimau Malaya squad as they prepare for the match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here on Tuesday (June 10).
Sang-sik has called on his side to stay united and focused. He also acknowledged the hurdles in their path but insisted that with belief and hard work, they can make a difference.
"This is the most important and difficult game in our quest to advance to the Asian Cup," said the South Korean during a pre-match press conference at the National Stadium on Monday (June 9).
"We want to play as a unit and aim for points."
Sang-sik admits that the Golden Dragons' preparations have been complicated by the influx of fresh blood for Malaysia.
"It makes it difficult for us. We do not have much information on some of these players, but we'll assess our squad and prepare based on our plan," he said.
"Football is always difficult, whether we have the information or not. The results depend on us."
Despite the pressure of the occasion and the hostile atmosphere awaiting them in Bukit Jalil, Sang-sik was unfazed.
"I'm a positive person, so pressure is not what I think about. The aim is the effort on the field and yes, to continue our good run against Malaysia."
Sang-sik and some of his players had their confidence boosted when they featured for the Asean All-Stars in the 1-0 win over Premier League giants Manchester United in a recent friendly.
Sang-sik, who was coach of the Asean All-Stars, said: "We were lucky to win because United struggled with the travelling and weather. But I'm satisfied. It was a great chance to show Southeast Asian players can move abroad and develop globally."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Extend Harimau Malaya's meritocratic principles to public sector leadership, says Zaid
Extend Harimau Malaya's meritocratic principles to public sector leadership, says Zaid

Free Malaysia Today

time5 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Extend Harimau Malaya's meritocratic principles to public sector leadership, says Zaid

Nine of Harimau Malaya's starting-11 in their 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam last night were naturalised players. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has questioned why merit-based policies in Malaysia cannot be applied to public sector leadership following Harimau Malaya's convincing win against Vietnam in a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier last night. A new-look Harimau Malaya eased past reigning Asean Cup champions Vietnam 4-0 in front of more than 61,000 fans at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, their first victory against the Golden Star Warriors in 11 years. Nine of the team's starting-11 were naturalised players, with five of them – Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Facundo Garces and Imanol Machuca – receiving Fifa clearance just hours before kick-off. In a Facebook post, Zaid noted that a flexible naturalisation policy and deep pockets have allowed the Football Association of Malaysia to attract world-class players. 'I was astounded to read about the team's win over Vietnam. It was not so long ago that Malaysia was floundering at the bottom of the world rankings. We might soon win the World Cup,' he quipped. 'From the list of our players, I can only recognise two whom I would consider Malaysian. 'This brings me to the question: if we can transform football teams in that fashion, why not transform our political leaders, civil service, and GLC heads by enticing world-class expertise to prop up the country? 'Why are we so against merit-based policy in other, more critical fields? Why are they only limited to football?' The result solidifies Malaysia's spot at the top of the four-team Group F with three wins from as many matches. Harimau Malaya, who have yet to concede a goal in their qualifying campaign, will face Laos in their next match on Oct 9. Only the group winner will secure a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from Jan 7 to Feb 5, 2027. FAM's policy of naturalising foreign players for the national team came under scrutiny from former national players last year, who argued that the national football body should focus on developing local talent rather than relying on foreign-born players.

Cklamovski's men don't just dream, they work very hard
Cklamovski's men don't just dream, they work very hard

New Straits Times

time8 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Cklamovski's men don't just dream, they work very hard

KUALA LUMPUR: The man from Down Under has put Malaysia on a high. And Australian coach Peter Cklamovski feels that the Asian Cup qualification is not just a dream as Malaysia now have the performance to back it up. Malaysia have surged to the top of Group F after demolishing Vietnam 4-0 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. Cklamovski's men, who beat Nepal 2-0 in their group opener in March, are well on course to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. Cklamovski said in the post-match press conference: "We got that dream, without a doubt, and you saw the commitment the players have for that. "We don't just think about it, we have to do it by action, and we have to do it by action every day, and that performance is a reflection of what I see every day from May 19, phase one, through to phase two, and then to the final phase. "I see a committed group of players hungry to build a team mentality that will make Malaysians proud, and tonight's a reflection of that. "To recover, we have to analyse this game, and then we get on to the next one. We've just got three points, that's all. "We've got more work to do, and we've got more steps to take to performance. Again, you'll hear me say it a lot, because that's everything that we think and talk about, because it's not about one player, it's about 11 players. We have 11 captains on the field, whoever plays. "We have 30 players training hard, being leaders in training. That's a mentality that will grow. We've got more work to do, physically improving, football's improving, and we've got more work to do." After seeing Malaysia end an 11-year barren record against Southeast Asia big guns Vietnam, Cklamovski said: "There's a lot of speculation around our opponents, and from people saying that we can't outwork Vietnam. I'm really proud of the players for pushing 97 minutes out, and I want to say a big thank you to all the supporters that turned up. That was a special atmosphere, I'm sure. "It made all the players feel special playing for Malaysia, and we wanted to play football to get them united. We wanted to play football to inspire them, and tonight we showed them the team we want to be," he added.

Brazil-born Figueiredo thrilled by reception from Malaysian fans
Brazil-born Figueiredo thrilled by reception from Malaysian fans

New Straits Times

time9 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Brazil-born Figueiredo thrilled by reception from Malaysian fans

KUALA LUMPUR: The man from the Western Hemisphere will never forget his Malaysia debut. Joao Figueiredo scored a goal against Vietnam and was named Man of the Match in an Asian Cup qualifier at the National Stadium yesterday. The 29-year-old proved to be a life wire for Malaysia upfront with his tremendous work-rate, and sparked a 4-0 win over Vietnam in their Group F match. The Brazil-born striker, who currently plays for Turkish club, Istanbul Basakşehir, was delighted with the reception from Malaysian fans at Bukit Jalil. He described it as "unforgettable". "I'm very happy, I've dreamt of this moment for a long time, but the most important thing was not my goal, it was to win, to follow our target. Our team performance was very good, but we can improve. I'm very happy to be here, I'm very proud," said Figueiredo. "From day one, I've been warmly welcomed by everyone here. Playing in front of more than 60,000 fans at the stadium was an incredible experience. Bukit Jalil will always be in my memory. "We've only been together for two weeks, but I believe we'll grow stronger from here. This is only the first step," added Figueiredo, who helped Malaysia end a 11-year winless run against Vietnam.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store