JOHOR BARU – Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen did not have the luxury of bringing his best players to face Malaysia in a Tier 1 international friendly match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri tomorrow night, but still hopes to put up a good performance.
The Norwegian coach said some players who play in the China league found it difficult to get a release from their respective clubs while several players had to be sidelined due to injuries.
However, the 60-year-old coach said at least all the 21 players in the squad would make a better team than the squad that lost 0-2 to Malaysia in a friendly during an international break at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil in June.
“We still could not pick the best squad, but (this time) this one is the best.
“The last time we were here during the Covid-19 period, we couldn’t pick our China-based players. This time, it’s a bit of a relief, because some of the players can join even if some can’t.
“Apart from that, we have some injured players, but we’re here with a good squad.
“Last Thursday, we played a good game against Singapore…we dominated the game and created a lot of chances, but I'm not really satisfied with the results. The results could be better,” he told a pre-match press conference here today.
Andersen’s men drew 1-1 with Singapore at the Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong despite dominating the entire match.
He said the matches against Singapore and Malaysia are different, considering the style of play and football approach of both teams, and he expects his team to face a tough challenge tomorrow.
“Against Singapore, they were defending almost 90 minutes in front of the goal, but I think tomorrow will be totally a different game.
“Malaysia will try to play more attacking football and press us high, so it’s good for us to play against a strong team. I can promise this time we are a bit stronger than the last time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Andersen said two players from Hong Kong’s Under-22 squad who lost to Malaysia in the 2023 Merlion Cup final in Singapore yesterday to complete the squad and provide more options.
In the meantime, Hong Kong right back Tsui Wang-kit said the previous 0-2 defeat had been forgotten and now wants to focus fully on the match tomorrow which is expected to be interesting.
“Past is past, we need to focus on tomorrow’s game. I’m sure we will try our best to win the game, and I believe we will give them a hard time.
“I know Malaysia’s wingers are very fast and skillful, but I will do my best. Our defence is strong, so I’m not afraid of them.
“We will play more aggressively and not just focus on defence,” said the 26-year-old Lee Man FC player. – Bernama, March 27, 2023
