Causeway rivals Singapore must be shown due respect even as Malaysia aim to make a winning start to the defence of their Sea Games gold medal in Jakarta on Monday.
National Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee believes the clash in the opening match will bring added spice to the team’s Group A campaign as the memories of the national team’s World Cup qualifying exit against Singapore in July continue to linger.
Eight players who featured in the two legs of the Asian zone second round qualifiers against Singapore, are in the Sea Games team and they will be keen to settle the score.
Eight players who featured in the two legs of the Asian zone second round qualifiers against Singapore, are in the Sea Games team and they will be keen to settle the score.
And with three more matches to come against Thailand (Wednesday), Cambodia (Nov 13) and hosts Indonesia (Nov 17) in the “Group of Death”, a winning start is imperative if Malaysia are to reach the semi-finals.
“Singapore, as you know, whenever they play against us it’s like tradition... they find that extra energy to make sure they don’t lose to us.
“The World Cup qualifier is a lesson for us in that we must work extra hard.
“The World Cup qualifier is a lesson for us in that we must work extra hard.
“The players have to be fully focused from the first to the last minute and they can’t afford to fall asleep,” said Kim Swee when reached in Jakarta yesterday just before the team had their first training session since arriving on Thursday.
Malaysia and Singapore, bronze medallists in 2009, have met twice since the Sea Games football event became an Under-23 affair.
Malaysia won 2-0 in 2003 in Ho Chi Minh City and drew 1-1 in 2007 in Korat, a result which eliminated Malaysia in the group stage.
Singapore have been boosted by the release of three key players from national service and the availability of captain Hariss Harun, defender Safuwan Baharudin and striker Khairul Nizam comes as a relief to coach Slobodan Pavkovic, who is targeting a place in the final.
“I told the team that if there’s anyone who doesn't believe we can (qualify for the final), you’d better stay in Singapore,” the Serbian told the Today newspaper. Malaysia face a difficult task in defending the gold medal won in Vientiane in inspirational circumstances, prompting ex-Indonesia coach and current Laos Under-23 handler Alfred Riedl to say, as quoted by Indonesian media, Malaysia stood “no chance” in even making the last four.
That drew a sharp response from Kim Swee, mindful that Rield has an axe to grind with Malaysia after losing the 2010 AFF Cup final when in charge of Indonesia and in the 2009 Sea Games semi-finals with Laos.
“They can say whatever they want. All it does is make the players even more motivated and take it as a challenge to show what they can do.
“But we know that there are no easy games here,” said Kim Swee.
Midfielder Irfan Fazail was restricted to a light workout yesterday having just recovered from a knee injury while Kim Swee confirmed that 17-year-old striker Nazmi Faiz Mansor, a late call up, is eligible to face Singapore.
Nazmi, sent off in Malaysia’s AFC Under-19 qualifier against Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday which ended 0-0 and served his one-match suspension when the Under-19 team played their second match, a 4-1 win over Laos, on Wednesday.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS — Group B: Vietnam 3 Philippines 1, Myanmar 3 Laos 2.
TODAY — Group B: Brunei v Timor Leste, Myanmar v Vietnam (both matches at Lebak Bulus Stadium)
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