Hodak wants more from his boys

DESPITE heading to Yangon with no expectations, Malaysia defied the odds to top Group A in the AFF Under-18 Championship following a 1-1 draw with Thailand at Thuwunna Stadium yesterday.

Regarded as a football genius by some, coach Bojan Hodak, however, is still unsatisfied with the performance of his team.

Nik Akif Syahiran Nik Mat finished off a Nurfais Johari’s pass to put Malaysia ahead in the 49th minute, before Kritsada Kaman reacted the quickest to a Jaturapat Sattham free kick to level for Thailand in the 63rd minute.

Malaysia and Thailand each collected 13 points but the former top the group on goal difference. Both teams will only know their semi-final opponents after tomorrow’s Group B proceedings. “I am not happy with our performance and result. I expected the Thais to dominate as they are technically better. They opened the game better than us but we had better scoring chances,” said Hodak yesterday.

“Defensively, we did well except for the cheap goal that we conceded. However, I must congratulate my boys for the encouraging performance as nobody expected us to top the group.

“The positive thing is that my players are fast learners with great fighting spirit. We deserve to win the group and now, we will focus on the semi-finals.”

In Group B, Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia are the front runners for the semi-final spots. Ajitpal Singh