Just the right words

Half-time pep talk gives CP football team perfect tonic

A ROUSING half- time pep talk saw the national cerebral palsy (CP) football team complete a 5-3 come-from-behind win over Singapore in their Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games Group A opening match.

Singapore raced to a 2-0 lead after just eight minutes with goals from skipper Mubarak Rastam and Khairul Anuar Kasmani at the C1 field of the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Sobri Ghazali reduced the deficit when he found the net in the 28th min-m ute.

Trailing 1-2, Malaysia came back after the breather with renewed confidence and Sobri completed his hattrick with two more goals in the 37th and 43rd minutes while Muhamad Uthman Surur (34th) and Khairi Ismail (55th) added one each.

Mubarak scored his second goal – and Singapore’s third – in the 54th minute.

National head coach Asnan Mohd Zuki praised his players for being mentally strong to stage a fightback.

He also admitted that he was forced to change his tactics after seeing his team strugglinggling in the opening stages of the game. “I changed our strategy after we went 2-0 down and it helped us get back in thee game,” said Asnan.

“My team talk at half- time also sseemed to work as they played with renewed vigour after the break. “I told them that we were only a goal down and that we had the ability to turn the match around. “I’m happy the players showed great character and mental toughness to bounce back despite the early setback.

“I hope they will be able to continue doing so in our next matches.” Malaysia will book a spot in the semi-finals if they beat Cambodia in their final Group A match tomorrow. Meanwhile, defending champions Thai-

I told them that we were only a goal down and that we had the ability to turn the match around. I’m happy the players showed great character and mental toughness to bounce back despite the early setback.

Asnan Mohd Zuki

land opened their Group B campaign with a 1-0 win over Myanmar.

Wanna Nattapong scored the winner in what was a rematch of the 2015 Para Games final.