Harimau Malaya shift focus to Vietnam

JAKARTA: Tan Cheng Hoe wants Harimau Malaya to put the disappointment of missing out on the final behind them and shift their focus to one last mission — beating Vietnam in the third-place playoff of the FIFA Asean Cup at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) on Monday.

Although Malaysia's 6-0 win over Singapore in their final Group A match at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung on Thursday was not enough to send them into the final, Cheng Hoe prefers to look at the team's recent performances positively.

The Harimau Malaya interim coach believes their last three matches have provided a clear indication of the team's capabilities, particularly in defence and in front of goal.

"I think we have to accept the fact that we did not qualify for the final. But what is important is that we played very well in the last three matches, we were able to keep our goal intact and we were also able to score many goals.

"That is a good sign for the national team and, as I have said, we have to keep moving forward and focus on what lies ahead," he said.

Cheng Hoe's comments underline that the team's priority is no longer what happened in the race for a place in the final, but ensuring their campaign does not end on a disappointing note.

Malaysia now have several days to recover physically and mentally before returning to GBK, where they held Indonesia to a goalless draw in their second group match on Sept 28.

Vietnam will be their final opponents after finishing the group stage with two wins and one defeat, including a 4-2 victory over Pakistan in their final match at GBK on Friday.

The clash will also give Harimau Malaya an opportunity to improve on their previous result against Vietnam after losing 2-0 in the second leg of the Asean Championship semi-finals in Hanoi in August.

For Cheng Hoe, the priority now is to ensure the players' confidence is not affected by their failure to reach the final.

"We believe in our ability and, for the next match, we also want a positive result for the team," he said.