KUALA LUMPUR: National team head coach Pau Marti Vicente was satisfied with the performance but disappointed with the result after the Harimau Malaya drew 1-1 with India in a Tier 1 international friendly at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad last night.
Vicente acknowledged that the challenges his team faced in the match served as a crucial test for his squad ahead of next month’s 2024 ASEAN Championship.
“I think the game was quite tight. In the first half, we struggled a bit to find our way of playing but we improved a bit in the second half. Overall, I think the result is quite fair but, maybe, we missed a few chances at the end. I think we are a bit disappointed about that but we are happy with the game.
“Against a team like India, this is a good result. Of course, we want to win every game but this result shows we can compete at this level. Perhaps, on another day, with a bit of luck and precision, we could have won,” he told a post-match press conference.
The Harimau Malaya squad, amidst controversy over the release of three Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) players before the clash, took the lead in the 19th minute through naturalised striker Paulo Josue, who capitalised on a mistake by Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
India, under the guidance of Spaniard Manolo Marquez, equalised in the 38th minute when Rahul Bheke headed in a corner kick taken by Brandon Fernandes.
The result saw Malaysia successfully preventing The Blue Tigers from avenging their 2-4 loss in the Merdeka Tournament in 2023.
Vicente made seven changes to his team last night from the one that beat Laos 3-1 in another Tier 1 international friendly in Bangkok on Thursday (Nov 14) as the team wrapped up preparation for the ASEAN Championship.
Malaysia, the 2010 champions, are drawn in Group A of the ASEAN Championship and will kick off their campaign against Cambodia in Phnom Penh on Dec 8, followed by Timor Leste (home, Dec 11); defending champions Thailand (Bangkok, Dec 14); and Singapore (home, Dec 20).
Meanwhile, regarding the issue of naturalised players in the squad, Vicente played it down and emphasised, instead, the evolving landscape of international football.
“Nowadays, every national team has a mix of players of different origins. It’s becoming common. In this case, in Malaysia, the regulations state that after five years of living there (in Malaysia), you can become a Malaysian (citizen) by right. These players have been there (in Malaysia) a long time, and they have the right to represent the country.
“This is the reality in football today. People move, change countries and this will become even more common in almost all the national teams,” the 41-year-old Spaniard said.
