Malaysia did not provide the best players for coach Kim Sang-sik to play against MU because he was afraid of losing to the Vietnamese team.

TPO - Two Malaysian players, Dominic Tan and Sergio Aguero, have withdrawn. Therefore, they cannot join coach Kim Sang-sik's ASEAN All Stars team to participate in the friendly match against Man United at Bukit Jalil Stadium on May 28. Behind this decision is probably the Tigers' plan to "hide their troops".

On May 28, the Southeast Asian Stars team with Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Duy Manh, Asnawi, Ferrari, Bounkong, Kan Mo... will compete with the star-studded team from Man United, the most popular team in Southeast Asia.

But because the match schedule is quite close to the time of the 2027 Asian Cup and 2026 World Cup qualifiers, teams like Indonesia and Malaysia have to keep their players.

In particular, Malaysia has a very thoughtful plan to prepare for the big match with Vietnam on June 10, a match that will have a decisive impact on the chances of the two teams advancing. Malaysia will gather from May 16, playing 2 friendly matches before the big match with Vietnam.

Perhaps that's why when playing a friendly match with MU, they couldn't send their best players to participate, regardless of the fact that this country was the host.

That is why the president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Mr. Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub, said Dominic Tan and Sergio Aguero will miss the match against MU.

Malaysia will save its best players for the match against Vietnam.

"AFF has asked for three players to be ready to compete, but because this is also the team's preparation time, only one name has been called up. FAM has proposed five more names to replace them. These players are all national players and have represented the team before, including Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee," the official emphasized.

With FAM's affirmation, it can be believed that they will only let coach Kim Sang-sik call the names of players who have not been called up to the national team recently. Typically, Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee, the last time he played for the national team was in 2022. In 9 years serving the Tigers, this player has only played 12 matches, a very modest number.

And by keeping key players like Dominic Tan and Sergio Aguero, Malaysia may also avoid being "read" by Vietnam, as coach Kim Sang-sik can know the strengths and weaknesses of these two players in the short time he has trained them.

Dang Lai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/malaysia-khong-cung-cap-cau-thu-tot-nhat-de-hlv-kim-sang-sik-dau-mu-vi-so-thua-tuyen-viet-nam-post1736702.tpo