Hot Topics: Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

       Print
    02 May 2012| last updated at 08:05AM

    Team urged to remain focused

    By Ajitpal Singh | ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my

    0 comments

    LEVEL-HEADED: Tengku Abdullah wants Malaysia to keep on winning to build confidence for the AFF Cup

    THE national team must not get big headed after their impressive 6-0 victory over Sri Lanka in an international friendly last weekend.

    FA of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah wants the players to focus on improving their game ahead of the AFF Cup.

    The tournament, co-hosted by Malaysia and Thailand, is scheduled for Nov 24-Dec 22.

    "I hope the team will get more confident from this win but they need to remain level-headed and also concentrate on their upcoming matches," said Tengku Abdullah at the Damansara Specialist Centre yesterday.

    "The players should not get carried away. We should just treat it like any other matches and look ahead. It is important that we keep on winning to build confidence for the AFF Cup."

    The victory was a huge boost for national coach Datuk K. Rajagobal who was earlier criticised by fans and officials for his unorthodox methods.

    Malaysia had not won in seven matches, mostly against lowly opponents and many were losing their patience.

    The team play the Philippines on June 1 and Singapore, in a two-leg affair, on June 8 and 12 before the exhibition matches against Arsenal and Manchester City in July.

    These matches will be crucial as Rajagobal will use them to gauge his players before trimming his squad to 30 or 40 players ahead of the AFF Cup, where Malaysia are the defending champions.

    Rajagobal has tested fringe and uncapped players in friendlies and most of them impressed him, and this has put pressure on seniors, especially those struggling with their game.

    "The team need to train hard and keep their focus on the tournament. They need to play well in friendly matches as only by winning them, they can get the right momentum for the AFF event," Tengku Abdullah added.

    National coach Datuk K. Rajagobal (right) has tested fringe and uncapped players in friendlies ahead of the AFF Cup.

    1 / 1

    Leave Your Comment


    Leave Your Comment:

    New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST.


    Sports