Coach Nor Saiful wants his defenders to rise to the occasion

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia youth hockey coach Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin wants his players, especially the defenders, to step up to the plate when they meet New Zealand in the Sultan of Johor Cup match today.

Malaysia and New Zealand are both winless after two matches. Their clash at Taman Daya hockey stadium today should be a tight affair as both teams are desperate to notch their first victory in the tournament.

New Zealand lost their first game against Britain ( 2- 3) and were thumped by India 1-7 the following day.

Malaysia lost narrowly to India 1-2 in their opening game but were thrashed 1-6 by Australia in their second game.

Nor Saiful said his players’ inexperience stood out like a sore thumb in the earlier clashes as nine of them are between the ages of 16 and 17.

“Unlike the team that we go up against, we have a really young squad while teams like India and Australia have players that have played together for a long time,” said Nor Saiful.

“The players are also adapting to the modern hockey game where it has become more physical.

“But this tournament is a good exposure for their development,” he said.

Nor Saiful added that he wants to see an improvement from his players, especially in defence in the match against New Zealand.

Nur Saiful added that his side played well in their previous two matches but the lack of concentration by the defence line cost them dearly.

“We played well in the initial stage but could not maintain it.

“We also gave away some soft goals due to poor defending.

“I hope for a more consistent performance tomorrow,” he said.