KUALA LUMPUR: Having lost to Vietnam in their group match, many expect Harimau Malaya head coach Tan Cheng Hoe to have a trick or two up his sleeve when the two teams meet in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 final at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil today.
And the coach hinted just as much too when he said: “We have a surprise for Vietnam.”
While aware of the uphill task awaiting his men, Cheng Hoe still expressed confidence that they could get a positive result as they would be extra motivated
playing in front of 80,000 faithful home fans.
“Playing in our own home ground and getting the full support of our fans will surely raise our players’ spirits because a packed National Stadium exudes a different kind of atmosphere and aura all together.
Cheng Hoe also told his players to stay composed as they would come under added pressure playing in the final.
“Playing in our own home ground and getting the full support of our fans will surely raise our players’ spirits because a packed National Stadium exudes a different kind of atmosphere and aura all together.
“The Vietnamese defence are solid, so our players must be careful when going on the attack…we have a surprise for Vietnam,” he told the pre-match press conference, here, yesterday.
Revenge is another factor that’s bound to drive the Malaysian players today, having lost 0-2 to Vietnam in the group stage in Hanoi on Nov 16. – Bernama