KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — National Under-23 (U-23) head coach Brad Maloney believes his side can put up a stiff fight against any team at the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Maloney is confident of the ability of the national team, including in the crucial clash against defending champions South Korea in the Group C opening match at the Lokomotiv Stadium on Thursday.
He said the national players were ready to start the competition although they realised it would be particularly tough against South Korea, who will parade some quality players.
“I believe that our team can give anyone else a run for their money. They are not afraid to play anybody.
“It’s just good for us to go out there and be free of other external pressures or whatever else. Let the boys play their natural game,” he said in an audio recording shared with local reporters today.
After South Korea, Malaysia are scheduled to face Thailand on Sunday at the Bunyodkor Stadium before locking horns with Vietnam on June 8 at the Lokomotiv Stadium in the last Group C match.
The top two teams will qualify for the quarter-finals.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has not set any target for Maloney’s boys in Tashkent.
But Maloney said his team always wanted to go far in every tournament they participated in.
“We understand it’s going to be a very tough tournament in the group stage. We got three very tough opponents in South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand but we will do our best. And I’m sure that our players will perform extremely well,” he said.
The 50-year-old Australian-born coach considered the cold weather in Tashkent to be ideal for football, saying his boys have adapted well since arriving there yesterday.
He said the players were also free from any injuries ahead of the clash with South Korea.
The national U-23 squad made history by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the 2018 tournament, which saw them losing 1-2 to South Korea. — Bernama
