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The Star
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Only a win will Do for veteran centreback Duy Manh
PETALING JAYA: Centreback and senior figure Do Duy Manh is ready to sizzle again at Malaysia's iconic Bukit Jalil Stadium. The 28-year-old will be one of Vietnam's solid star defenders when they face off with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier today. Duy Manh was at the same venue two weeks ago when the Asean All-Stars took on Manchester United in the Maybank Challenge Cup, which they eventually won. 'This is the most important game in this qualifying campaign,' said Duy Manh. 'It's an away game, so it will be difficult, but we have prepared well. We trust coach Kim (Sang-sik) and we'll follow his instructions.' Duy Manh has also played here during the 2018 AFF Cup final and knows what to expect from the team and fans. 'It's a big stadium, always full, and we know how the atmosphere will be. This is Malaysia's favourite ground. ''But for 90 minutes, we will remain focused and overcome the pressure.' With everything on the line, Vietnam are approaching the battle with caution, clarity and quiet confidence.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Only a good result will Do for Duy Manh
Do Duy Manh. - Duy Manh's Facebook PETALING JAYA: Centreback and senior figure Do Duy Manh is ready to sizzle again at Malaysia's iconic Bukit Jalil Stadium. The 28-year-old will be one of Vietnam's solid star defenders when they face off with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier today. Duy Manh was at the same venue two weeks ago when the Asean All-Stars took on Manchester United in the Maybank Challenge Cup, which they eventually won. "This is the most important game in this qualifying campaign," said Duy Manh. "It's an away game, so it will be difficult, but we have prepared well. We trust coach Kim (Sang-sik) and we'll follow his instructions." Duy Manh has also played here during the 2018 AFF Cup final and knows what to expect from the team and fans. "It's a big stadium, always full, and we know how the atmosphere will be. This is Malaysia's favourite ground. But for 90 minutes, we will remain focused and overcome the pressure." With everything on the line, Vietnam are approaching the battle with caution, clarity and quiet confidence.
New Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'I stopped Man United, now it's Malaysia' says Vietnam captain
KUALA LUMPUR: Vietnam captain Do Duy Manh knows exactly what awaits him and his teammates when they face Harimau Malaya in Tuesday's Asian Cup Group F qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil — a deafening roar from the home crowd. The 28-year-old centre-back is no stranger to the Bukit Jalil cauldron, having recently played there in the Maybank Challenge Cup, where he helped the Asean All-Stars stun Manchester United 1-0. He also featured in the pulsating first leg of the 2018 Asean Cup final, where Malaysia fought back to draw 2-2 before Vietnam clinched the title with a 1-0 win in Hanoi to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory. "My first game here was the 2018 Asean Cup final. The second was just 12 days ago, against Manchester United. And now, tomorrow's match, I think it will be a very exciting game," said Duy Manh at Monday's pre-match press conference in Bukit Jalil. "We'll be playing in a big stadium, under pressure from a large Malaysian crowd. My teammates and I will do our best to handle that pressure. We must stay focused for the full 90 minutes and follow the coach's instructions." Malaysia have struggled against Vietnam in recent years, losing seven and drawing one in their last eight meetings, with their most recent win dating back to 2014. But Duy Manh warned that this isn't the same Malaysian side they're used to facing. "It's not the same as in 2018. Malaysia have a new coach and a new squad. From what we know, there are around 17 to 18 new players, and some of them play abroad." "It won't be an easy game. But we have our own goals, and we'll try our best to achieve them. We could lose, we could draw, or we could win, but personally, I'm just focused on the match."
The Star
03-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
The night Asean football rose
THEY came dressed in Manchester United jerseys, ready to cheer for their favourite players at the recent Maybank Challenge Cup match. But as the game progressed and underdogs Asean All-Stars continued to hold their own, loyalties started to shift. For many in the 72,550-strong crowd at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, it was a night where South-East Asian football took centre stage. The post-season match –Manchester United's first game just days after the English Premier League ended – became something special for local and regional football lovers. 'I wore red for United, but by the second half, I found myself cheering for the Asean team too,' said Nathan George, a lifelong Red Devils supporter. 'Their charges and how they held themselves against the visitors, were surprisingly effective and their fighting spirit eventually won me over. A group of die-hard Manchester United fans from Indonesia waiting to get into the Bukit Jalil National Stadium compound before the Maybank Challenge Cup match. 'The early part of the match was not very exciting. In fact, I believe the fans started Mexican waves in the stands to drive up everyone's spirits,' he said. The turning point of the friendly charity match came in the 71st minute when Myanmar's Maung Maung Lwin swept the ball past United goalkeeper Tom Heaton, sending the crowd into a roar. 'Watching the Asean team fight so hard made me cheer for them without realising,' said another fan, Irfan Fareez. 'It was confusing, but in a good way. 'It started out as a friendly, but the All-Stars really made a statement on their abilities,' he said. The match marked the return of the English club to Malaysian soil after 16 years but ended with an unexpected 1–0 defeat to the All-Stars, a side assembled just days before. Despite the short preparation time, the squad, led by South Korean coach Kim Sang-sik, played with cohesion and grit against the English Premier League side. Throughout the night, the All-Stars frustrated United's attempts with firm tackles, tight marking, and confident passing. Datuk Ramli Sarip (centre) performing for spectators before the start of the match. Manchester United started with a blend of first-team players and younger talents, including Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund. They controlled much of the ball in the first half but were unable to break through a determined Asean defence. Thai goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai made several key saves, including one from Maguire's header and another from Sandro Reyes' shot. After the break, United brought on key players such as Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho in search of a breakthrough. Fernandes came close with a powerful volley, but the All-Stars stayed organised and defended well. The winning goal came after a quick counter-attack finished smartly by Lwin, who had only just come on as a substitute. United pushed hard for an equaliser after the All-Stars' goal, but the Asean defence held firm. The referee's final whistle triggered a split of emotion from the fans, with most erupting in cheers and applause for the Asean side, while a dissatisfied portion of the crowd sent the Red Devils' off with boos. The Asean All-Stars and Manchester United players after the match. Kim, speaking to the press after the trophy presentation, was brimming with pride. 'We trained for two days but they played like they were together for 20 years,' he said. 'The team played with heart. I'm very happy with the victory,' he added. On the other side, manager Ruben Amorim admitted to his team's shortcomings. 'The boos from the fans? It's something we need. These people believe in Manchester United no matter what. It's our duty to improve,' he said. Before kick-off, a concert-like atmosphere featured performances by Datuk Ramli Sarip, local band Bunkface and Indonesian group Nidji. Organisers also presented a mock cheque for RM1mil to the Al-Sultan Abdullah Foundation, with proceeds raised from ticket sales and sponsorships. Among those present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and regional guests who had earlier attended Asean 2025 related events.
Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Inside Manchester United's chaotic post-season Asian tour
It's Wednesday night and it's party time in the national stadium of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. A scratch team of players from the southeast Asian football federations, known as the Asean All-Stars, have done the unthinkable and beaten Manchester United in the first match of a two-game post-season tour for Ruben Amorim's beleaguered side. In the stadium's offices the prize for the victory, the Maybank Challenge Cup, (named after the sponsor of the friendly) is being handed around to staff for photographs. Just down the corridor in the interview area, the smiling match-winner from Myanmar, Maung Maung Lwin, is applauded as he does his umpteenth media engagement. Down in the bowels of the stadium, Lwin's team mate Sergio Agüero (no, not that one) is beset by anxiety rather than elation. The naturalised Malaysian, born in Argentina, is lurking around the dressing-room door, hoping that Alejandro Garnacho fulfils a promise he made during the game to give him his shirt. Instead, when United's wantaway winger departs, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes, he simply walks past Agüero and others present. Luckily for Agüero, one of United's kitmen saves the day, scooping Garnacho's jersey off the floor and handing it to him. On the big red United bus, which has 'TOUR' — and the insignia of all their sponsors — emblazoned on it, there is plenty of gallows humour. 'Only after the season we've had, can we lose a post-season friendly and get booed off by our own fans,' the joke goes. In the immediate aftermath of the embarrassing defeat there were no quips from the players. For the second time in the space of a week they were made to watch their opponents lift a trophy and, to make matters worse, the presentation ceremony was delayed because the officials had gone back into the dressing room to get changed. The United players, who also went on a lap of honour, were angry that they had to wait in the 30C-plus heat, so they complained to the organisers, who ran into the dressing room and brought the officials back on to the pitch. By that point on Wednesday night, Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot were on a private jet to India, having left the stadium at half-time. The three players, who had played in the opening half against the Asean All-Stars, had been chosen to appear at a question-and-answer session in Mumbai the following day. When United announced they were undertaking a post-match tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong, they did not want to alienate their strong Indian following. United have millions of Indian followers but they have never played a match there, so Onana, Dalot and Maguire skipped the second half of the first friendly and the entirety of the final match against Hong Kong, which United won on Friday night, to take part in the Q&A session in Mumbai. They arrived back in Manchester on Friday, which made them the envy of their team-mates, who are due to arrive home 24 hours later. United insist their players understand why they had to come on this trip — the £8million raised will, to a certain extent, soften the £10million penalty the club will pay to Adidas for failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season. Privately, however, three sources have used the same phrase to describe the feelings of most of the squad at being dragged to the Far East during a time when they could have been on holiday with their families. 'They're fuming,' they said. Players attended several events organised by some of United's biggest sponsors, including Adidas, Tezos, Apollo, Maybank and Snapdragon, during this week-long, 14,000-mile round trip. One downbeat peripheral player advised a team-mate to give short answers in a Q&A session in Kuala Lumpur so that the appearance ended as quickly as possible. Ashley Westwood, the Hong Kong head coach, summed up the situation perfectly when he said that the United players needed these fixtures 'like a hole in the head' but conceded that money talks. 'This trip is all about revenues, it has become a thing,' Westwood said the day before United beat Hong Kong 3-1 on a sodden pitch. That said, the tour has been enjoyable for the players and staff in other senses. Given that this is essentially a post-season wind-down, the atmosphere in and around the W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where they stayed three nights, and the W Hotel in Hong Kong, which hosted them for one evening, has been relaxed and less disciplined than it would be on a pre-season tour. That became clear on the Air Malaysia aircraft that carried the players, staff and executives from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur last Sunday evening, shortly after United had defeated Aston Villa 2-0 in the final match of a wretched Premier League season. In the business and first-class seats saved for the players, music was played and some squad members and staff had a few drinks. The players have not been subjected to a curfew on this trip. Joshua Zirkzee walked over the road from the team hotel in Kuala Lumpur to a Thai restaurant one night after being unimpressed by the room-service options. Amad Diallo and Garnacho hired some scooters and whizzed around the city. A few players went out to a nightclub after they arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday night, accompanied by security staff. One popular member of staff wowed those present with his left-field dancing. Some players had a drink in the hotel bar after the loss to Asean All-Stars. Staff joined in too. Bruno Fernandes told them that he would pay for their drinks all night and he did. In the corner of the bar stood a gold vending machine that sells 187ml bottles of champagne for £40 a pop. If you buy five bottles, your sixth is free. Fernandes's future has been a hot topic among the travelling party. Some are convinced he will leave, others refuse to believe it. They all agree unanimously that United need to do everything they can to keep the 30-year-old captain. They know he is their best player and his leadership skills are valuable, particularly because morale is so low now after finishing 15th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for the Champions League. Fernandes has been seen giving guidance and help to the younger members of the 32-man party that United brought to the Far East. 'Are you a proper United fan then?' the United employee in a white Adidas polo shirt said to two men in United shirts as he walked them down the red carpet at the stadium in Kuala Lumpur (which was stuck to the floor by red electrical tape) last Wednesday in the VVIP area. Some of the 72,5000 fans present were guests of wealthy businesses trying to impress clients or reward employees, but some of them were genuine fans, including Daniel, an engineering student who paid £262 for his VVIP ticket, which involved a slap-up buffet dinner in a roped-off area of the stadium. 'We had [Edwin] van der Sar, [Patrice] Evra, Rio [Ferdinand], [Nemanja] Vidic, the Brazilian twins [Rafael and Fabio da Silva] …' the 25-year-old says, reciting the squad that United had when he started supporting them in 2008, as if to prove his credentials. United's squad is much worse these days but there was no way that would put him off coming to the match. 'It doesn't matter,' he said. 'It's about loyalty. The appeal of the Theatre of Dreams is not just about the 'Theatre' — it's about the actors, who are the players, and the producer, the coach.' Although there are 9,000 empty seats in Kuala Lumpur, selling north of 75,000 tickets (a small section of which were available for £8 and £16), is a sign that support for United remains strong. One man in the crowd is Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian prime minister. As a United fan, he is unhappy with the result, unlike many of the cabinet members in attendance, who are Liverpool supporters. That United retain a strong following in Asia is also evident, judging by the fact that more than 300 fans turned up to greet them at the team hotel, even though it had not been advertised that the players were staying there. 'This match is the biggest sporting event in Kuala Lumpur in 2025,' Christopher Raj, the chief executive of ShekhinahPR, a local firm contracted to publicise the All-Stars match, said. 'We had 600 media applications for the match but we only had space for 250. 'Today we have more than 100 media waiting for the team to turn up. They've been here for a long time.' When the squad eventually arrived, security guards had to hold the fans and media back behind a cordon on either side of the bus. Luke Shaw signed a few shirts for local media inside the hotel lobby — about 50 yards away from the fans — but most of the players went straight through reception and up to their rooms, as instructed by security staff, who are always aware of a potential crush due to the excitement of the crowd at these greetings. To avoid such an issue, the coach carrying the team to their hotel in Shanghai on their 2016 pre-season tour dropped the players off at the back entrance of the hotel, much to the annoyance of hundreds of people who were waiting for them in reception. Isuandar, a 31-year-old engineer from Kuala Lumpur, was happy to get a glimpse of his hero, Fernandes, from about 50 yards away. 'I have been here waiting for hours,' he said. 'Manchester is the biggest team in Malaysia.' TJ, who has travelled over from the UK, was less impressed. 'They can't come over and see a few kids,' he shouted as his young son beside him cried. 'It's disgusting.' When on pre-season tour, United sometimes organise well-attended public training sessions for their fans, but they chose not to on this occasion. It was probably for the best given the standard of football on show during the hour-long session in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt, both returning from injury, did some running and stretches before the rest of the squad split into two units for the rondos. After that, Amorim directed a pretty lacklustre training drill that began with Tom Heaton launching the ball to the halfway line, where ten outfield players would each touch the ball before someone tried to shoot. Even though they were playing against mannequins, some of the passing — and in particular the finishing from Chido Obi — was poor. The organisers had bought the 7ft-high yellow mannequins especially for United's training session in an effort to impress Amorim, the head coach, and his staff but some were not filled with enough water and they collapsed in a heap, prompting jokes from the sidelines about a comparison between the men in yellow and United's defence in their Europa League final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur the previous Wednesday. Obi looked far more polished by the time he and United arrived in Hong Kong, where they were met by a deluge that made the pitch for their final friendly difficult to play on. The downpour was so great that the roof started leaking in the press room — a problem teams visiting Old Trafford will be familiar with. Obi, 17, scored twice as United came from behind to win 3-1 in what was Jonny Evans's last game at the club. Before heading to the airport, Fernandes and Garnacho — now without sunglasses –— signed autographs and posed for selfies with fans outside the dressing room.
