Stepping up a gear: Brendan Gan in action against Myanmar during their AFF Mitsubishi Cup Group B match. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: If there’s one Malaysian player who can give Thailand the eye of the tiger, it’s Brendan Gan.
The industrious midfielder is well remembered for playing a key role in the Harimau Malaya’s 2-1 win over the War Elephants in a 2022 World Cup second-round qualifier in Kuala Lumpur in 2019.
Recalling that memorable night gives the 34-year-old a psychological boost as Malaysia brace for another thrilling clash with Thailand in the AFF Mitsubishi Cup first-leg semi-final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
Brendan is relishing the prospect of a closely fought tie that will keep many spectators on the edge of their seats.
“It will be a spectacle for those watching, and we are very excited to play Thailand at this stage of the tournament. They can be an unpredictable side as it’s difficult to say how they will play,’’ he said.
‘’Every time I face them, I see new players and tactics. They are a team with lots of great individuals with some playing in leagues outside their country.
‘’I’m so glad I got to play against them in that memorable World Cup qualifier four years ago where we battled to a 2-1 win.
‘’It’ll be very close again this time but the key for us to gain an advantage is not to allow them to force us into their game.
‘‘We must control what we do and not let them control us.”
Thailand, the defending champions, will start as favourites despite not having beaten Malaysia since 2014.
In the last six encounters against Malaysia, Thailand have drawn twice and lost four times with the last meeting being a 1-1 tie in the King’s Cup last September.
Brendan said Malaysia would need to be aggressive and go on the attack in order to get a comfortable first-leg lead tonight.
“We must attack and score as many goals as we can. It’ll be a highly charged atmosphere in Bukit Jalil and the home support will give us that extra push,’’ he said.
He added that there was a unity and positivity in the team that have helped them to come this far in the tournament.
‘’When the competition started, the team weren’t highly rated with the media saying this isn’t the best team put together.
‘’But we’ve grown from strength to strength, bouncing back from the setback against Vietnam and now, we’re just two games away from getting into the final. We’ll keep going as far as we can.’’
