Vicente Gives Thumbs Up To Harimau Malaya's 1-1 Draw With Auckland FC

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 (Bernama) -- National squad head coach Pau Marti Vicente was full of praise for his men for putting up a good fight and eking out a respectable 1-1 draw in their Tier 2 international friendly match with Auckland FC at the Go Media Stadium in New Zealand today. 

Vicente said the Harimau Malaya showed excellent fighting spirit to tie the Kiwis' main club, which he described as a strong team. 

"I believe we had a very good game against Auckland FC. I think it’s a very, very strong club. They have very good players, and for us, it was a very good test. Especially because we're going to play against New Zealand.

 “We expect a similar game (against New Zealand) as this (game against Auckland FC) was very physical, very fast paced and very high intensity. So I am very happy with the commitment of our players,” he said in a video shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today. 

Earlier, Auckland FC, nicknamed The Black Knights, went ahead through 29-year-old defender Francis de Vries’ strike in the 25th minute. 

However, the lead did not last for long as Nooa Laine levelled against the club which plays in the Australian League (A-League), in the 59th minute.

The Harimau Malaya are scheduled to play a Tier 1 friendly against New Zealand at the North Harbor Stadium on Oct 14.

-- BERNAMA