During the preparation for the final match of Group B of men's football at the 33rd SEA Games, striker Haykal Danish Haizon set a goal of winning with U22 Malaysia.

Haykal Danish urged his teammates to view the match against Vietnam U22 – a strong contender for the SEA Games 2025 gold medal – as a "must-win mission" .

Haykal Danish U22 Malaysia.jpg
Haykal Danish declares they want to defeat Vietnam U22. Photo: FAM

In the 4-1 victory over U22 Laos, Haykal was the one who scored the equalizer, thereby breathing new life into U22 Malaysia - a team that at that time suffered from many psychological problems because some clubs did not release their players.

“The first victory against U22 Laos is very important to boost the team's spirit,” Haykal said.

"I hope that when we enter the match against U22 Vietnam, we will be ready both physically and mentally."

Despite losing more pillars like Haqimi Azim Rosli and Haziq Kutty Abba, Haykal remains optimistic.

“It is true that, like in previous tournaments, the team faces the same problems. But whatever the circumstances, we have to continue. I hope all the players are ready for any situation.”

Although only needing a draw to enter the semi-finals, Haykal affirmed that U22 Malaysia is not calculating to play pragmatically.

“Our target is to win. Even if a draw is enough, we still want to win. The mission is to win, to regain pride.”

Coach Kim Sang Sik's U22 Vietnam is rated higher by experts. Haykal believes that U22 Malaysia must enter the match with intelligence, mobility and speed.

“U22 Vietnam is the top candidate. They are strong, they are fast. We cannot compete physically with them…

To win, we need to get past them with quick passes, moving the ball quickly from sideline to sideline. That's our way."

Haykal said the current squad's cohesion is much better than in the Southeast Asian Championship and the Asian U23 qualifiers, which makes him confident that U22 Malaysia can deploy the right tactical plan.

“We are generally more prepared this time. Just need to stay consistent in training and stay focused.”

Haykal Danish was a key factor in helping U19 Malaysia win the U19 Southeast Asian Championship in Indonesia in 2022.

On their journey to the championship, they defeated U19 Vietnam of Dinh Bac and Khuat Van Khang's generation 3-0. Haykal Danish was the one who scored the last goal when coming off the bench.

Watch SEA Games 33, stand alongside the Vietnamese Sports Delegation, in its entirety onFPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/sao-u22-malaysia-tuyen-bo-thang-u22-viet-nam-sea-games-33-2471103.html