Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe warns his team to not underestimate Laos in ASEAN Cup despite Laos’ 0-5 loss to Thailand
KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe has urged his players to guard against complacency as Malaysia look to chase a positive result against Laos in second Group B fixture of the ASEAN Cup 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Cheras, here, tomorrow.
Fresh off a 2-1 victory over Myanmar in the Group B opener on Saturday, Cheng Hoe said the growing expectations on his side were understandable but insisted Laos, largely made up of under 23 players, remained capable of causing problems as the opponents would be determined to bounce back after suffering 0-5 defeat to seven-time champions Thailand.
“Of course, I think the expectation is a bit tough for us that we need to continue our journey to get our positive results. We cannot underestimate the Laos team, even though they lost to Thailand the other day.
“I observed, I had analysed their game, that the Laos team, they are quite a young team. We have to respect the team. At the same time, I think any team coming to any tournament, they want to bounce back, they want to get a good result,” he told reporters at the pre-match press conference today.
He said Malaysia must be wary of Laos’ quick counter-attacking style, avoid giving away possession cheaply in their own half and demanded his charges of being clinical in front of goal.
Looking back at Malaysia’s opening victory over Myanmar, the former Kedah and Selangor FC coach was pleased with the team’s response after a difficult first half and hailed the players’ fighting spirit as well as the influence of experienced members of the squad.
“We got a good result although the first half against Myanmar we were unsettled, but the second half we really fought back, bounced back, and the spirit in the team, it showed that we can play better and better,” he said.
In the meantime, forward Syafiq Ahmad believes the presence of experienced players such as Paulo Josue and Mohamadou Sumareh has played an important role in helping the younger members of the squad adapt to the demands of international football and setting examples for the emerging players in the team.
He also said the players’ main objective is to remain focused on their immediate task against Laos under the tutelage of new coach Vladica Grujic rather than looking too far ahead in the tournament.
Malaysia are currently in second place in Group B with three points, trailing leaders Thailand on superior goal difference after both teams recorded victories in their opening matches.
The Philippines sit in third place, while Myanmar and Laos occupy the bottom two positions without any points.
Only the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.
