KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — National head coach Kim Pan Gon said Singapore is a team that 'plays to defend' ahead of the 2022 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup Group B decider at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, tomorrow night.
Pan Gon's statement was based on his observation of Singapore's tactical approach which has not changed much since the last time the two teams met in an international friendly last March, which ended in a 2-1 win for The Lions at home, thus handed Pan Gon's first defeat with the national team.
He said Singapore’s gameplay contradicted the tactical approach of his side which was more proactive and served high-quality and entertaining games.
“To me (Singapore) in last March and this tournament not much different...they care about defensive, drop down and look for a counter-attack but Malaysia is different.
"We want to be proactive, we want to dominate the game, give energetic and dynamic football play to achieve a win so we are different from them but I think they have their own style and we will fully respect their style and approach," he said during a pre-match press conference in Bukit Jalil here, today.
After Singapore's goalless draw against Vietnam last Friday, Malaysia has no choice but to record a win to qualify for the semi-finals to avoid an early exit for the second consecutive edition.
Pan Gon expects Singapore to stick with a defensive game approach tomorrow night.
“They will use their full advantage to drop-down and pack the defence to secure...so depends on us, no one will help us. We will go there and try to sell ourselves to deliver a win to the fans and that is our job,” said the 53-year-old South Korean coach.
Meanwhile, Pan Gon said his players are aware that tomorrow's match is very important and require each individual to focus throughout the match to secure three points.
“I believe our Harimau Malaya players are very matured and professional. Tomorrow they will respect the opponent and play the right approach to fight. I believe (with) through this approach we can deliver a good performance and also hopefully we can deliver good results to fans,” he said.
Singapore, the four-time champion and only needing a draw tomorrow, now has a one-point advantage in second place while Malaysia is third with six points.
The last time Malaysia beat Singapore was in a Group B action of the 2014 AFF Cup which witnessed two epic late goals — Safiq Rahim's penalty and Indra Putra Mahayuddin's long-range finish helped the team win 3-1 at the Singapore National Stadium and advance to the semis. — Bernama
