JOHOR BAHRU: National Juniors head coach I. Vikneswaran is confident that his charges can bounce back from their opening 2-3 loss to New Zealand yesterday by beating Japan in the 2024 Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) at the Johor Hockey Stadium here today.
He said the Young Tigers need to learn from their mistakes against the Black Sticks, be more consistent in controlling matches and strengthen the mental side of their game.
He, however, saluted his players for giving New Zealand a run for their money.
“This defeat is a bitter pill to swallow, but we must accept the fact that the yellow card shown to Zulhanif Sahran in the fourth quarter and the subsequent penalty stroke changed the course of the game.
“However, we only have ourselves to blame for not capitalising on the chances we created when we had control of the game and breached their defence.
“But what can I say… they gave their best. We stand united as a team and we will rectify our shortcomings and rise again when we face Japan tomorrow (today),” he told a post-match media conference after the defeat by New Zealand last night.
He also urged his young charges to remain focused and to learn from the experience as they gear up for the Junior World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, New Zealand head coach Aaron Ford admitted that the Young Tigers gave his team a tough fight.
“It was a tough game and we knew it would be tough, but I am really proud of my players as we managed to create a lot of chances.
“But, as I said, we put in a lot of hard work to win this game and I think we deserved it,” he said.
The 12th edition of the Under-21 championship, which runs until Oct 26, also features Australia, Great Britain and India.
