KUALA LUMPUR – The national under-23 team expects an uphill task against defending champions Vietnam in the semifinal of the AFF U-23 Cup, scheduled to take place at the Rayong Provincial Stadium in Thailand tomorrow.
Head coach E. Elavarasan anticipates a tough battle, acknowledging the strength and quality of the Vietnamese team.
“In the Southeast Asian region, Vietnam is a really good team, in my opinion. The Vietnamese players are also of high quality, and they frequently succeed in the tournaments in which they compete,” Elavarasan said.
While acknowledging the strength of Vietnam’s team, Elavarasan emphasised his players’ determination to win, which he believes will be their driving force to secure a place in the final.
“First of all, I want to congratulate the players because, after four years, we made it to the semifinals. We come with the objective of winning, and I believe that the players can achieve that objective,” said Elavarasan during the pre-match conference held at Rayong Provincial Stadium, Thailand.
Despite Vietnam showcasing an impressive performance by topping Group C with a majority of U-20 players, Elavarasan hopes that his team’s recovery and preparation period will enable Harimau Muda to overcome the Golden Star Warriors.
“We need to rotate our players and be ready for the next game with improved body condition,” added Elavarasan.
When asked about his team’s weaknesses, the coach highlighted their lack of experience in knockout matches.
“Our weakness is not being able to qualify for the semifinals for the last 18 years. That is our weakness,” Elavarasan said.
In their previous match against Timor Leste, the Harimau Muda squad secured their place in the semifinals with an impressive 3-1 victory, finishing as the Group B champions.
The national team took the lead through Alif Ikmalrizal Anuar as early as the fifth minute before Aliff Izwan Yuslan scored the second goal eight minutes later.
Malaysia’s best performance at the Asean Under-23 was fourth place in 2005. – August 23, 2023