KUALA LUMPUR – The last group stage match of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup between Malaysia and Singapore will see the Causeway Derby take place at Bukit Jalil National Stadium tomorrow.
Malaysia currently sits in third spot with six points in Group B behind Singapore, who are tied with Vietnam with seven points.
Harimau Malaya have to win the match tomorrow to ensure they move up a spot as only the top two teams from each group advance into the semi-finals.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference today, Harimau Malaya head coach Kim Pan-gon expressed confidence that the national team’s playing style will be an advantage for the home side to beat Singapore.
“They (Singapore) play a more reactive game. They tend to pull back and wait for a chance to counterattack,” the South Korean said.
“We play very differently. We are more proactive because we want to dominate, be energetic, and dynamic in the game. That is the style of football we want to play to win.
“But we fully respect Singapore and their playing style. We have an advantage tomorrow playing in our home stadium, and we will use that to our full benefit.”
The last time both sides met was in March during the Tri-Nations Series, when Singapore edged out Harimau Malaya with a 2-1 win at Singapore National Stadium.
Pan-gon also said that the disappointing loss to Vietnam in the previous AFF Cup match was not all bad, as the takeaways from that game have taught the players how to face tomorrow’s match.
“I rewatched that match three times. I have no regret or any doubt in my players that they played a very good game.
“We fully dominated the game up until the set-piece. Normally, Vietnam is a team that takes control of a match, but we held our ground well,” he said.
He added that the controversial refereeing decisions that saw Azam Azmi Murad given the red card was to be left in the past.
“I have no complaints about Azam,” Pan-gon said. “Everyone knows the situation in that match. It is best we move on and focus on the game tomorrow.”
‘We have to attack’
Harimau Malaya frontman Muhammad Faisal Abdul Halim emphasised the scale of the matchup tomorrow, adding that anything can happen in football.
“Sometimes, you can lose when you play well, and sometimes you can win when you play poorly. That is football.
“I told my teammates that tomorrow is a crucial match. We will have our families, friends, and all of Malaysia watching us, so we cannot afford to let them down.
“The team has been away from their families for over a month now, but this is the sacrifice we make for our country,” he said.
The number-seven forward also said that Malaysia’s style of play will come to their advantage against neighbours Singapore.
“The coach has explained it well to us. We can’t just stand back and defend for 90 minutes, that is not how you win a game.
“We have to attack and give it our all. I have told my teammates to not leave anything in the tank and go all out for Malaysia tomorrow.
“They (Singapore) are coming here and playing against us at Bukit Jalil National Stadium. It won’t be easy for them to take away our three points,” he added.
Faisal has scored three goals in the tournament, with one against Myanmar and two against Laos.
Malaysia will play Singapore at Bukit Jalil National Stadium at 8.30pm tomorrow. – The Vibes, January 2, 2023
