Past Setbacks Won't Deter Harimau Malaya's Ambition - Vicente

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- Despite past setbacks including the sudden resignation of former head coach Kim Pan Gon, Malaysia remain undeterred as they prepare for their 2024 Merdeka Tournament semi-final clash against the Philippines at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, tomorrow.

Newly appointed Harimau Malaya head coach Pau Marti Vicente expressed confidence in his team, noting that both players and coaching staff have shown great dedication and cooperation throughout the five-day central training camp held at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, which began last Thursday.

Vicente who previously served as an assistant to Pan Gon, emphasised that while they cannot change the past, they have the power to shape the future by realising the team's full potential.

“I think so far (situation) very positive, of course to me and even for the players, whatever happened in the past cannot affect us, we need to take the experience that we work from the previous game but the only thing we can change is the future.

“So what we’ve seen this week has been good, I think the players are motivated and willing to show and the past I think it’s something that we get it as experience but cannot affect us for the future,” the Spaniard told a pre-match press conference here, today.

Commenting further, Vicente stated that he wants his team to play attacking football while being smart in reading the various tactical patterns of the opposing team.

“To me, the most important is not the style of play but how our players put their heart and work together because football sometimes goes your way sometimes not but your passion and your working rate must be always there. I hope we can provide good football but most importantly we show our character,” he said.

The Philippine match will be Vicente’s debut as the team’s coach following his appointment, which came after Pan Gon's sudden resignation in July.

Meanwhile, the Philippines came here without ideal preparation, and The Azkals also faced a significant setback after their coach, Tom Saintfiet, resigned less than a week before the match.

Their interim coach Norman Fegidero Jr, admitted that he is facing a tough challenge in preparing the team for this tournament.

“We are in a very unique situation, so the teams arrived yesterday and other players will arrive this afternoon (because of flight availability and players’ commitment to respective clubs). So I can say it’s a very big challenge for me on how we prepare the team,” he said.

On paper, Vicente has a good chance of achieving a winning debut as tomorrow's match is seen in favour of Malaysia who are ranked better at 134 than the Philippines at 147, apart from the host factor.

Another Merdeka Tournament semi-final match tomorrow sees defending champions Tajikistan take on Lebanon at the National Stadium while the final is scheduled for Sunday at the same venue.

-- BERNAMA