By Michael Charles
Malaysian head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee defended his team this week following their ‘limped’ 1-1 draw against Afghanistan where he feels that his chargers defended well in the wake of another drawn game.
With the blue-riband event of the AFF Suzuki Cup coming up in slightly over a month the team, under Kim Swee, has yet to showcase any sense of confidence although Kim Swee was insistent that the boys put in ‘a much better performance’ compared to their previous match against Singapore.
That match at the National Stadium in Singapore ended scoreless.
“It was a much better performance (against Afghanistan), especially for the back four,” defended Kim Swee.
Against Afghanistan, Kim Swee made eight changes to the squad although Shahrul Saad, Baddrol Bakhtiar and Nazirul Naim Che Hashim were kept in the side who faced Singapore a week ago.
Kim Swee also gave Mohd Fazrul Hazli and Mohd Syazwan Zainon their first international caps. Sadly though, Syazwan’s debut was cut short as the midfielder got injured barely 20 minutes into the game.
“He (Syazwan) did prove himself before he got injured,” added Kim Swee. “He was playing as expected where he made a few good manouevres.”
Whatever was the misgivings about the team, nothing could be said otherwise of the fans’ response to the game where just 1,000 came to witness the affair.
Afghanistan coach Petar Segrt was also suprised by the turnout from the home side.
” I was a little bit disappointed as I expected 40,000 – 50,000 fans to show up but it’s ok I have to accept it,” he said.
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