DOHA: The Harimau Malaya squad are undeterred by the reputation of superstar Son Heung-min and the tactical acumen of high-profile coach Jurgen Klinsmann when they meet South Korea in their final Group E match of the Asian Cup 2023 here today.
Harimau Malaya winger Muhammad Safawi Rasid said Malaysia would not be under pressure as they are already out of contention for the round of 16 and would be aiming to dent the reputation of the Taeguk Warriors.
Muhammad Safawi, who has fond memories of playing a South Korean side that included Son, said the Tottenham Hotspur forward is a good player but he could be shackled.
“Everyone knows Son is a great player … I know his ability. In one-on-one situations, he may get through but if two against one or three against one, it’s possible (to contain him).
“He (Son) is only human. I think we have the advantage as we will be defending and he will be attacking. I believe in my teammates and coach (Kim Pan Gon). We will see how it goes tomorrow (Jan 24),” he said when met at the team hotel here yesterday.
The 26-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) player said the team would be adopting their usual approach of trying to pressure South Korea into making mistakes.
“We will pile the pressure on them and from there we will seize the opportunity to attack,” he added.
Muhammad Safawi scored two goals when helping the national Under-23 squad to a 2-1 win over South Korea, who then paraded Son, in a group match of the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
Despite the defeat to Malaysia, South Korea went on to win the Asian Games gold then.
In tomorrow’s match at Al Janoub Stadium, South Korea need only one point to confirm their place in the round of 16 while Malaysia are already out of the running for the next stage after losing their first two matches.
This will be the second encounter between Malaysia and South Korea in the group stage of the Asian Cup, with the two teams drawing 1-1 in the 1980 edition in Kuwait. Former striker Zulkifli Hamzah scored the equaliser for Malaysia then.
The last time the two countries met in a competitive match was in a World Cup qualifying round, which saw Malaysia losing 0-3 in 1989. – BERNAMA
