Aidil in a rush to recover for final

PETALING

JAYA: National centreback Mohamad Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak is racing against time to play in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup final against Vietnam at the National Stadium in Bukil Jalil tomorrow.

Aidil suffered a hamstring injury during the second-leg semi-final match against Thailand.

The Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) player said he would be disappointed to miss the first-leg action after doing his duty to help the team qualify for the final.

Malaysia host Vietnam in the first leg of the final at the National Stadium tomorrow before travelling to Hanoi for the return leg on Saturday.

“I’m still recovering. If I’m not 100% fit, Irfan (Zakaria) or Adam (Nor Azlin) can step in,” said the 31-year-old Aidil.

“They’ve not played much in the tournament but if they are focused, they can do well in the final.

“I would advise them to be on guard and not be nervous although playing in the final is different because anything can happen.

“They need to stay focused to avoid making mistakes. There are consequences even for a small mistake.”

He urged his comrades to stick to coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s short passing and ball possession game against Vietnam. When Malaysia last played Vietnam, they lost 2-0 in the group stage.

“Then, we were away from home. Now, we’re at home and it’s going to be a different atmosphere. We’ll be out to surprise Vietnam and gain an advantage for the second leg in Hanoi.

“The players are happy that they’re able to grasp coach’s tactics. We’ve the rhythm and belief now. But this must not stop. This philosophy should continue for the World Cup qualifiers and other tournaments.”