AFF Under-23 Cup: Pressure Creates Diamonds, Says Tierney

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama) — "Pressure creates diamonds"—that was national forward Fergus Tierney’s response when asked how he’s handling the heat ahead of the 2025 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Under-23 Cup in Jakarta from July 15 to 29.

Tierney, who has already been capped at the senior level, believes the team is making good progress under head coach Nafuzi Zain, with just a week remaining before the tournament kicks off.

“I think we have had a good training camp with Coach Nafuzi. We are learning a lot every day. We still have a week to go before the tournament, so there’s still a lot we need to improve.

“We want to win every game. We’re not worried about who we’re facing. We’re going there to win every single match. That’s it,” he told reporters after scoring two goals to help the Malaysia U-23 team defeat Melaka FC 4-1 in a warm-up match at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras last night.

Aliff Izwan Yuslan and Muhammad Faris Danish Mohd Asrul netted the other two goals.

Meanwhile, head coach Nafuzi stressed that fitness is the top priority at this stage, adding that his squad is already showing sharper speed and movement.

“We know the real challenge will be much tougher than our current situation. And we also understand that Melaka is still in pre-season, at an early stage in their preparations.

“I think in terms of Melaka’s condition, it’s still very early. So, what’s most important now is for the players to quickly figure out what we want. That’s the key,” he said.

Nafuzi has made it clear that the target is the semi-finals, a crucial launchpad for a shot at the title.

Malaysia kicks off their Group A campaign against the Philippines on July 15, faces Brunei on July 18, and wraps up the group stage with a showdown against hosts Indonesia on July 21.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on July 25, with the third-place playoff and final scheduled for July 29.

— BERNAMA