PETALING JAYA: Singapore are a side that play “defensive football”, said national coach Kim Pan-gon.
That was Pan-gon’s frank assessment of the Causeway neighbours ahead of their AFF Mitsubishi Cup Group B cruncher at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight.
He said their approach to winning was different compared to Malaysia’s more proactive style in serving high-quality and entertaining games.
“We are different. They are quite negative playing, we are active playing. They are defensive and look for counter-attacks. We are different. We want to be proactive and dominate games,” said Pan-gon.
Pan-gon expects Singapore to stick with a defensive game approach tonight.
“Singapore have their advantage, but we have our advantage too, and we would use it to the fullest.
“It depends on us. No one will help us. We would look to deliver to the Malaysian public. We will fight and win.
“With the right approach and some form of respect against Singapore, I believe our players are mature and professional enough to get something out of the game tomorrow. We want to deliver the best result.”
After Singapore’s goalless draw against Vietnam last Friday, Malaysia have no choice but to record a win to qualify for the semi-finals to avoid an early exit for the second consecutive edition.
Second-placed Singapore only need a draw today to advance to the semi-finals, while Malaysia are third.
The last time Malaysia beat Singapore was in a Group B action of the 2014 AFF Cup which witnessed two late goals – Safiq Rahim’s penalty and Indra Putra Mahayuddin’s long-range finish which helped the team win 3-1 at the Singapore National Stadium to advance to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Pan-gon has also called on the supporters to spur his boys to a win.
“Malaysia football fans always give full support, but today we need special support. We want to make it a festival.
“Come support us, we will give our best to fight for you and get to the next stage,” he said.
“We had time to recover. All the preparation went smoothly. Everybody knows how important this game is. I believe our players and staff are ready for what’s in store tomorrow”
