Former Malaysian coach picks Malaysia to progress

With continental powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran virtually assured of advancing to the next stage of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, much of the second-round drama is expected to centre on South-East Asia this week.

Of the 15 second-round matches played last weekend, the few that remain finely balanced in today’s return legs involve one of the continent’s most passionate football regions.

The last time a country from South-east Asia made the World Cup was 1938 – when Indonesia was known as the Dutch East Indies – and after none of its teams qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup in January, having just a single representative in the group stage of qualifying for Brazil 2014 would be another disappointment.

One South-East Asian spot in the next round is guaranteed as arch-rivals and neighbours Singapore and Malaysia were drawn together, with Singapore winning a thrilling first leg 5-3 at home.

Other countries from the region are still in contention after the first leg of the second round: Indonesia earned a 1-1 draw in Turkmenistan, Thailand take a 1-0 advantage to Palestine; while in Yangon, Myanmar have to reverse a 2-0 first-leg loss to Oman.

The 15 winners will progress to the third round where they will be joined by Australia, Bahrain, Japan, North Korea and South Korea, with the 20 teams to be divided into five groups of four teams. The top two teams from each of those groups in turn progresses to the fourth round.
Singapore may regret allowing a 4-1 home lead in the first leg become 5-3. The return match promises to be a grand occasion, with the 85,000 capacity Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur expected to be full.

“Malaysia will progress to the next round,” said B. Sathianathan, who left his post as Malaysian head coach in 2008 .

“The full capacity is extra motivation for Malaysia and will spur the players to go the extra mile to qualify for the next round. The fitness level of both teams will decide the outcome especially in the second half of the game.

“Both teams showed in the first leg that their weak point is defending. My prediction is based on the Singapore defence, which is not as solid and strong as it used to be. The Singapore coach has done a remarkable job since taking over but he needs to inject new blood in the team for the future.”