Malaysia's Stuart Wilkin (right) battles for the ball with India's Lallianzuala Chhangte (left) during the Merdeka Tournament at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, October 13, 2023. - GLENN GUAN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Midfielder Stuart Wilkin believes Malaysia will be doubly motivated to beat Tajikistan in tomorrow’s Merdeka Tournament final.
The 25-year-old Sabah playmaker stressed that the Harimau Malaya are fired up to show that they are a way better side than their world No. 134 ranking suggests.
Secondly, Kim Pan-gon’s men have revenge on their minds as their last encounter with world No. 110 Tajikistan in the King’s Cup final last September in Chiang Mai, Thailand, ended in a shootout loss after a 0-0 draw.
“It’s going to be a tough game against a nation ranked higher than us but we will go in with confidence,” said Stuart.
“All of us like a good challenge. I believe we have been improving and we relish playing against teams rated higher than us.
“We believe we should be a higher-ranked team ourselves, so we want to prove it in this final.
“Tajikistan held us 0-0 in the King’s Cup and beat us on penalties, so we also have revenge on our minds.
“But this being our home tournament, we want to win it for the fans.’’
Stuart, who is of Malaysian-English parentage, has been a standout this season, scoring six goals in 22 Super League matches for Sabah.
He has also been a key player in Pan-gon’s squad for the past year, a creative force tasked with feeding the wingers and attackers with his visionary passing.
