AFF U-18 tourney a test for Malaysia

TODAY’S AFF Under-18 Championship semi-final against Myanmar will be a test of character and guts for Malaysia at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon.

Coach Bojan Hodak said the experience of playing in front of a packed stadium today will help his players build their game for the future.

Myanmar qualified as Group B runners-up courtesy of their late comeback in the 2-1 win over Vietnam on Wednesday.

“It will be difficult playing in front of Myanmar fans. Myanmar have prepared for a long time and they are a disciplined side,” said Hodak in Yangon yesterday.

“However, they will be playing with pressure as expectations are high on them. Myanmar rely a lot on their fans for motivation.

“Honestly, Myanmar are not as strong as Vietnam or Thailand. But they are in the semi-finals, and we cannot take them for granted.

“The atmosphere in camp is good. I have reminded my players to relax and play without pressure.

“Our tactics have been working so far here. The bond between the players and coaches is getting stronger, and this is a good sign towards building a formidable unit.

“My players are feeling confident. It is important that they play to instructions and also minimise mistakes.”

Malaysia are expected to start cautiously today with instructions from Hodak to mark out Myanmar striker Win Naing Tun, who is currently the top scorer with seven goals.

“In-form Naing Tun is a great striker. He scores from opportunities created from Myanmar’s excellent team work.

“We had an extra day rest compared to Myanmar, but I think it is not an advantage to us. We played five matches in nine days, while Myanmar had fewer games in Group B,” said Hodak.

The Croat, however, may have to look for options as winger Akhyar Rashid and striker Hadi Fayyadh Abdul Razak are injured.

“Akhyar and Hadi Fayyadh picked up minor injuries in the 1-1 draw with Thailand (on Tuesday). They are responding well to treatment and hopefully, they will be ready tomorrow,” Hodak added.

Last year’s runners-up Thailand play Indonesia in the other semi-final today.