KUALA LUMPUR − National Under 23 (U-23) squad head coach Brad Maloney is hoping his side can improve their finishing when they face Laos again in their final Group B match of the 2022 Asean Football Federation (AFF) U-23 Championship tomorrow.
In the ‘do-or-die’ match, Maloney urged his boys to take advantage of every opportunity presented to them.
Maloney, who defended his team’s tactical approach after their shocking defeat to Laos in the first group match, said being clinical in front of the goal mouth was crucial to ensure a positive result and for the team to progress in the tournament.
“If we look at the statistics from the last match − in over 90 minutes − we had something like 67% possession (and) we had more shots than the opposition on target, more individual battles won than the opposition.
“For us, it’s a matter of converting that dominance of possession into scoring goals, the shots on target into scoring goals − we really need to have more conviction in front of the goal to try to get the results,” he said in a virtual press conference from Phnom Penh, Cambodia today.
In their opening match at the Prince Stadium in Phnom Penh, Malaysia was shocked by a 1-2 defeat to Laos with midfielder A. Selvan scoring the only goal for Harimau Malaya while Laos’ captain Bounphachan Bounkong secured three points for his team with a brace.
This result means Maloney’s boys will have to win by two goals in their second meeting against Laos tomorrow to secure a place in the semi-finals as group champions.
However, Maloney still believes his charges have everything it takes to overcome Laos after putting on their best overall performance yet in the earlier defeat.
“To me, we dominated in large areas the other day − the one area we didn’t dominate was the scoreboard. So, a lot of things that we did actually worked for us for a long period of time so we continue to do that and hopefully we can improve in front of the goal,” he added.
The Group B fixtures only involve Malaysia and Laos after Myanmar and Indonesia withdrew from the championship due to Covid-19 infections in their teams.
Only three group winners and the best second-place team will advance to the semi-finals on February 24 with the final slated for February 26. – Bernama, February 20, 2022
