KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian women’s head coach, Soleen Al-Zoubi, aims to use her team’s game experience to secure a crucial win against Saudi Arabia.
The 37-year-old coach said that a victory in the third/fourth place match against the Green Falcons would be a booster for her team’s efforts through the international friendly tournament hosted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
“We are very well prepared for the match as we already have experience playing against Saudi Arabia. Now we know their strengths and weaknesses and will take advantage of that through our tactics.
“The team has been training hard for the game, and the girls are ready to give their all to secure the spot.
“I believe they deserve it for all the efforts they have showcased throughout the tournament,” said Soleen.
She also expressed her admiration for her squad’s performance in their semifinal match against Lebanon, despite failing to advance to the finals after losing out in a penalty shootout.
“As a team, we have been coping with our recent defeat. On a personal note, my players’ performance was outstanding throughout the match.
“My girls gave their all, and the only problem they faced was that they played for more than 120 minutes. It was not easy, as many of them covered 50km on the field during the match.
“For penalty kicks, it’s not about practising or teaching the girls how to take the penalty… it’s about teaching them how to handle the pressure.
“We will analyse our penalty kicks from the last match as a reference for the next one. If we face penalty kicks again, the girls will be calmer and more experienced, and they will know what to do next,” Soleen added.
Meanwhile, centre-back Putri Arissa Balqis, who plays for the Malaysian University in the National Women’s League (NWL), said that the team has been working hard to address their flaws and hopes to end the tournament on a high note.
“Alhamdulillah, we have been diligently working with coach Soleen to improve our game, and we hope to give our all and aim for a positive result against Saudi Arabia,” said Arissa.
Malaysia drew 0-0 in normal time and lost 4-3 on penalties against Lebanon in their semi final fixture of the tournament on Wednesday in Taif.
The Malayan Tigress will face Saudi Arabia in the third/fourth place match tomorrow, while Lebanon will take on Bhutan in the final. – September 29, 2023