KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia were whipped by South Korea in a warm-up match for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup which begins in Ipoh this Saturday, but nobody is pressing the panic button just yet.
Striker Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin said it was either 5-0 or 6-0, as nobody kept count.
“It was just a friendly, and it was our first game with many new players in the team. South Korea came at us very hard, and I think we lost 5-0 or 6-0, but it does not matter as it was only a warm-up match and we were trying out some new formations,” said the seasoned striker.
The other teams in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup are India, Canada, Japan and Poland.
Malaysia open their campaign against last minute entry Poland, and coach Roelant Oltmans believes that the Poles will take to the field with a European style of play.
“We have only watched Poland play from videos, as they have yet to arrive in Ipoh as of today (Thursday). However, they are expected to come with the expected European style of play, and from what we have watched, they are fast on counter-attacks,” said Oltmans.
Oltmans concurred with Tengku Ahmad on the friendly match against the South Koreans, saying that he was trying out new tactics.
“We played well in the early part, but let in too many goals in the later part of the match. I was trying out some new formations, and that it to be expected.
“This is why we have another friendly match against India later today (Thursday) before we have a day’s rest, as then we play Poland in the opening match,” Oltmans pointed out.
With many of the squad’s senior players on the crocked list, including first-choice goalkeeper S. Kumar and skipper Shukri Mutalib, Oltmans will have to gamble on newcomers.
There will be seven new faces in the squad compared to the one which played in the recent World Cup in Bhubaneswar, and Malaysia could go either way on the standings.
Favourites India have won the Azlan Shah Cup five times, including one co-shared with South Korea as the final was abandoned due to a thunderstorm, and even they are down, having to make do without seven regulars who are out injured.
Despite being the hosts, Malaysia have yet to win the tournament, which began back in 1983, with the national side’s best showing being finishing as runners-up five times.
FIXTURES:
Saturday (March 23) – India v Japan (4pm), Canada v South Korea (6pm), Malaysia v Poland (8pm)
Sunday (March 24): India v South Korea (4pm), Canada v Poland (6pm), Malaysia v Japan (8pm)
Monday (March 25): Rest Day
Tuesday (March 26): Japan v Canada (4pm), Poland v South Korea (6pm), Malaysia v India (8pm)
Wednesday (March 27): Poland v Japan (4pm), Canada v India (6pm), Malaysia v South Korea (8pm)
Thursday (March 28): Rest Day
Friday (March 29): India v Poland (4pm), South Korea v Japan (6pm), Malaysia v Canada (8pm)