Malaysia’s Victory Over Singapore Reflects Winning Culture, Says Cools

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s 2-1 win over arch-rivals Singapore in a Tier 1 international friendly at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here last night was seen as a step forward by the team’s captain, Dion Cools.

The 29-year-old defender said that although Harimau Malaya failed to keep a clean sheet, the victory reflected a growing winning mentality within the squad and provided a solid base for further improvement.

“I think we can still improve in some aspects. I think everybody can see that. The most important thing is that we created a winning culture.

“Too bad we couldn't score more goals, too bad we couldn't keep a clean sheet. But in general, I think there's a good foundation and we try to keep building for the next game,” he said when met after the match.

Cools emphasised that efficiency in front of goal and sharper high-pressing would be crucial areas for improvement as Malaysia look ahead to their next outing against Palestine at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri in Johor next Monday.

“Be more efficient in the box, try to get up-pressing maybe a bit better … I think these are the things we can still work on as a team,” said the Cerezo Osaka player.

Malaysia started strongly in the match to take a 1-0 lead in the first half through Stuart Wilkin’s 26th-minute strike.

Peter Cklamovski’s men doubled the advantage amid a series of missed chances when Joao Figueiredo found the net in the 55th minute before Singapore pulled one back with a stunning effort from Ilhan Fandi in the 72nd minute.

The victory extended Malaysia’s unbeaten run under Cklamovski in competitive matches to four, following two wins and one draw in his first three outings since taking charge earlier this year.

-- BERNAMA