Naturalized players face criticism, Malaysian coach reacts strongly.

Coach Peter Cklamovski affirmed that Malaysia's naturalized players are all eager to contribute and will do their best to defeat Vietnam at the Bikit Jalil Stadium on the evening of June 10th.

Malaysia's coach Peter Cklamovski said the home team is well-prepared for the crucial match against Vietnam in Group F of the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup: "Everything, from physical to tactical aspects, is on the right track. Malaysia is building itself into a top-class team. There are still many steps to take, but given the current situation, I am very happy with the initial results."

The team's performance improved significantly, with a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde on May 29th and a rematch against the same opponent on June 3rd. The 30 players used proved very useful in three 30-minute halves. It was a real experiment. After that, some new faces emerged."

Coach Peter Cklamovski and the Malaysian team are determined to defeat Vietnam. Photo: Ho Hai Hoang.

"The match against Vietnam is very important for us. The Malaysian team has prepared very well, the players are eager to play at Bukit Jalil and make the whole country proud. I am pleased with the players' efforts and dedication. Although there has been a lot of negative information on social media recently, it hasn't affected the match against Vietnam . I'm happy that the players are willing to do what I want," said coach Peter Cklamovski.

Prior to the match, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) faced a wave of fierce protests from regional fans for calling up five naturalized foreign players to the national team. However, FAM insisted they were unconcerned by the criticism, as the Malaysian team's goal was to defeat Vietnam after an 11-year winless streak.

Malaysia uses many naturalized players.

"The Malaysian players are not distracted by opinions from social media or experts. We are well-prepared. Some players are new from abroad and have come with pride. Everyone will see their pride as they train and build a family atmosphere in the Malaysian national team. I want them to show even more in the match against Vietnam," coach Peter Cklamovski affirmed.

"We build a winning mentality in every match. One detail is that Malaysia hasn't beaten Vietnam in the last 11 years. Instead of being afraid, the team sees it as a challenge. I want them to seize it and make history tomorrow. The opportunity is there, let's take it," the Australian strategist concluded.

The Vietnam vs Malaysia match will kick off at 8 PM on June 10th at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hlv-malaysia-phan-ung-gay-gat-ve-su-chi-trich-voi-cau-thu-nhap-tich-2409501.html