KUALA LUMPUR: Players’ fitness is a primary concern for Singapore head coach Tsutomu Ogura as they prepare for the decisive final Group A match of the AFF Cup against Malaysia at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
The Japanese coach, who has been at the helm of the Lions since February, highlighted that his men were still recovering from their gruelling 120-minute match in last Tuesday’s 2-4 home defeat to Thailand.
“We are preparing to face Malaysia, they are good opponents. I think the key point for us is focusing on recovery. This is crucial because we played nearly 120 minutes just two days ago and the players are fatigued.
“How we recover will be the key factor. My main concern is my players’ condition, and I hope they will be in good shape for tomorrow’s game,” the 61-year-old coach told a pre-match press conference.
Meanwhile, Singapore captain Hariss Harun believes that Pau Marti Vicente’s Harimau Malaya squad had the advantage of playing at home and benefiting from a longer rest period.
“I think it’s a really huge, important game for us, for them as well, it’s going to be tough especially because it’s our fourth game on the bounce, whereas for them I think they have a bit of an advantage because they’re playing at home obviously, and of course they have a bye in the last match day.
“So they’re probably fresher than us, but nevertheless I think the whole occasion is huge and very important for both teams, we are looking forward to tomorrow’s battle,” said the 34-year-old captain of Lion City Sailors, who is also the former captain of Malaysia’s Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
Singapore, four-time champions (1998, 2004, 2007, and 2012), are currently second in Group A with six points and need just a draw to reach the semi-finals for the second time since their 2012 title.
Malaysia, who’ve won the competition in 2010, are currently in fourth place, sharing four points with Cambodia in third and Vicente’s side must secure a win to advance to the knockout stage.Defending champions Thailand, who have already secured their spot, lead the group with nine points, are set to lock horns with Cambodia in Bangkok in the last group match.
Today’s match is a repeat of the final group match from the 2022 edition, where Malaysia, needing a victory, triumphed 4-1 over Singapore here.
For the record, Malaysia have won 31 and drawn 21 of the 75 encounters with Singapore in all competitions since 1958. — Bernama
