Despite thrashing Indonesia in the opening match of AFC U-23 Championship Group H qualifiers, Malaysia U-22 head coach Ong Kim Swee admitted that facing Thailand in the next game would be a tougher task for his side.
“All my players gave their best. They were very disciplined throughout the match, especially when defending. Even though we defended well in the second half, we still created a few chances. The substitutes that came on also performed very well,” Kim Swee said in a conference quoted by Stadium MY.
“After this, we will be meeting Thailand, and it won’t be the same. It won’t be easy, especially because we just played Indonesia.”
Moreover, the 46-year-old coach also hoped that his players could recover their strength in time for the Friday match. In this battle, the Young Tigers will be playing without striker Syafiq Ahmad and first-choice goalkeeper Mohd Ifwat Akmal Che Kassim, who were injured in the win over Indonesia.
Malaysia will be taking on hosts and favorites Thailand on Friday at Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok.