National football coach Tan Cheng Hoe slept well after Malaysia tore Myanmar apart with a 3-0 win and a place in the last four from Group A in the AFF Suzuki Cup at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil on Saturday.
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The victory means a lot to the former international and Harimau Malaya after being written off by many critics following theĀ 2-0 defeat to eventual group champions and former winners Vietnam (2008).
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Malaysia, winners in 2010, however, whipped the daylights out of Myanmar, who were cocksure of a securing a draw to advance. The defeat left Myanmar’s German coach Antoine Hey who was virtually lost for words with the thrashing ut congratulated Malaysia for the excellent win and wished the team “best of luck” in the semis.
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“We had the chances in the first 10 to 15 minutes but we did not finish it off with a goal. Conceding an early goal was disastrous but the second goal (penalty) killed us off,” said Hey.
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For Cheng Hoe was a big relief and load taken off the shoulders of the team, players and officials alike.
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“We have won the battle but the war is not over yet. Another journey begins in the semi-finals. We have to step up the tempo. The match against Myanmar was our best so far and we have to take off from here.
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“It could be Thailand or it could be Singapore or the Philippines but we cannot harp on whom we prefer to play in the semi-finals. We have to prepare for a real tough semi-final,” said Cheng Hoe, adding the team has been given a day off from training on Sunday.
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He did not want to single out any individual for the win over Myanmar as “win or lose it is a team effort” but is quick to admit that the “fans were a motivating factor” that gave the team a splendid win.
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“The players showed character and the players should plenty of guts and determination, knowing that only a win would keep Malaysia in the tournament.”
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Malaysia assured themselves of second place in the group with nine points while Vietnam took the top spot with 10 points with a 3-0 win over Cambodia at home on Saturday. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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