PETALING JAYA: The damage is done. All national football head coach Tan Cheng Hoe can do is help raise his players’ spirits ahead of their Airmarine Cup third-fourth placing playoff against Afghanistan today.
While admitting that his Harimau Malaya were badly affected by the 1-0 loss to Singapore on Wednesday, Cheng Hoe hopes they will learn from it and use all the criticisms hurled towards them as a motivation and challenge to do better against Afghanistan at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil (4.30pm).
“I hope they are re-energised as mental strength is vital for the game against Afghanistan. As a coach, I have faith in their ability. They must take all these negative comments as motivation,” he told the pre-match press conference here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan head coach Anoush Dastgir confirmed that he would field the same squad who lost 5-0 to Oman on Wednesday when they take on Malaysia today, adding that their biggest challenge would be the hot weather.
“The match against Malaysia will be tough for us. I respect the Malaysian team a lot, but the biggest challenge for us will be the weather. We knew about the weather, but we only arrived a day before the game at midnight and after a long 25 to 30-hour flight.
“We had no rest before taking on Oman. But now, after two days’ rest, the players are fully recovered and I will start with the same team,” he said.
