Crowd pleasers
We owe it to our fans to beat Myanmar, says Cheng Hoe
KUALA LUMPUR: The game plan is simple - make the home fans happy.
The stakes are high for Malaysia today as they have to beat regional rivals Myanmar to qualify for the semi-finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup – and they are banking on the home crowd support to pull off a win at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe said the players were in high spirits after a one-week break but cautioned them that the pressure of playing at home would be different.
“We’ve prepared well over the last one week. The pressure is on us to get the three points and the boys are using it as a motivation,” said Cheng Hoe.
“The match day is different and it’s important for all the 23 players to have the self-belief in front of a big home crowd. They’ve to be focused throughout the match.”
The former Kedah coach said he was looking forward to a boisterous atmosphere in the stadium.
“As a coach, I want my team to make the fans happy by playing good football and winning,” he said.
“We approached the match against Vietnam in the same manner but unfortunately, we did not win.
“A positive mindset is very important and I want our players to be calm throughout. They should not allow Myanmar players to unnerve them.
“I respect Myanmar because they’ve been playing really well in this tournament. It’ll not be easy playing against them because they can be quick with their counter-attacks,” said Cheng Hoe, who added that all 23 players were available for the match today.
Malaysia won their first two Group A matches by beating Cambodia 1-0 in Phnom Penh and Laos 3-1 in Kuala Lumpur but they lost 0-2 to Vietnam in their last match in Hanoi.
Malaysia goalkeeper Mohd Farizal Marlias said the players were committed to qualifying for their ninth semi-final in 12 attempts.
Malaysia won the cup once in 2010 when they beat Indonesia 4-2 on aggregate.
“This is the final game of the group stage. This game is like a final to us because we have to beat Myanmar to get into the semis. We urge the fans to come out in droves,” said Farizal.
“We’re aware of Myanmar’s abilities but we’ll be focused on ourselves. All of us are physically and mentally ready to play,” added Farizal, who is the second-choice goalkeeper.