U22 Malaysia received bad news, head coach admitted sad things when meeting Laos

Recently, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced the list of 23 players participating in the 33rd SEA Games. However, before the opening match against U22 Laos (4:00 p.m. on December 6), U22 Malaysia was missing three of its most important players, Fergus Tierney, Alif Izwan and Ubaidullah, because the club did not release them.

U22 Malaysia nhận tin dữ, HLV trưởng thừa nhận điều đáng buồn khi gặp Lào - 1 — Coach Nafuzi Zain admitted that U22 Malaysia is seriously short of players before the match against U22 Laos. The team's three most important players will not be able to participate (Photo: FAM).

Coach Nafuzi Zain admitted that the U22 Malaysia training camp has been disrupted as some players have to return to their clubs to play, but he is ready to face this challenge. According to the plan, Ubaidullah can join the team after the match against Laos, Alif Izwan is waiting for a response from Selangor FC, while Fergus Tierney has not yet been approved by his club to join the national team.

Coach Nafuzi shared: “We have to prepare with what we have and choose the best option. Winning the first match against U22 Laos is an important task because failure will make our journey ahead very difficult.”

The coach born in 1978 assessed that U22 Laos is not an easy opponent to play against as they have many players who have played for the national team. He added: "U22 Laos organizes a very good defense, has a large number of players, and counterattacks quickly. That is their main weapon."

Although U22 Malaysia has many limitations in terms of force, coach Nafuzi affirmed that the team is not allowed to make excuses. “I do not consider these as reasons. We have prepared the best we can,” he emphasized.

U22 Malaysia's goal is to win three points in the match against U22 Laos, before the decisive match against U22 Vietnam on December 11.

Meanwhile, Danish midfielder Hakimi Sahaludin also emphasized that the team must not underestimate U22 Laos because the opponent has changed a lot and is stronger than a few years ago.

In the last two tournaments, U23 Malaysia (the core of which is the U22 team) lost the opening match at the U23 Southeast Asia tournament and the U23 Asia qualifiers, causing them to be eliminated early. Therefore, Danish believes that the whole team must enter the competition with the highest determination.

He shared: “Laos U22 is no longer the same as before. We cannot be complacent. Whoever is given the opportunity must perform their best on the field. In the last two major tournaments, we lost the first match and this time the whole team hopes that will not happen again.”

Talking about the fact that the team will only play friendly matches with domestic clubs, and will not be able to compete internationally before the 33rd SEA Games, the 20-year-old player expressed confidence in the coaching staff's plan. "Playing against foreign opponents will bring better results, but that is not a problem. We will try our best at the 33rd SEA Games. The whole team has prepared well, the players' spirit is high. The important thing is to follow the tactics set by the coach," Danish emphasized.