Malaysian players confident of 'breaking the curse' against Vietnam team

Midfielder Hector Hevel affirmed that Malaysia is highly focused and confident that they can win after 11 years of "empty-handed" defeat against the Vietnamese team.

Hector Hevel hopes to "break the curse" against the Vietnamese team. Photo: Malayisa NT .

“We know it has been a long time since we have been able to defeat Vietnam. However, this is not pressure but a great motivation for the whole team in the next match. Vietnam is a strong team, but so are we. We have carefully analyzed their playing style and will launch our own weapons to win,” midfielder Hector Hevel told Malaysian press.

The last time Malaysia won against Vietnam was the second leg of the AFF Cup 2014 semi-final. At that time, Vietnam lost 2-4 to their opponents. However, in the 11 years since then, the "Golden Tigers" have never had a victory against Vietnam. In 8 matches, Vietnam won 7 and drew 1.

In this encounter, Malaysia has a strong squad of naturalized players. In the list of 30 players just announced, coach Peter Cklamovski has included 17 players with foreign blood. Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Iranzabal and Joao Figueiredo are the latest names to join the team. Among them, there are 3 players valued at more than 1 million euros, a rare number in Southeast Asia. The presence of this group of players promises to enhance the strength of the Malaysian squad, especially in attack ability.

“Adaptation is key. The game is not far away, so the new players need to feel comfortable as soon as possible. The rest of us are also supporting them every day. The pressure is not only on the new players, but also on the whole team. But with the quality of the players we have, we have to win. That is the team's mindset,” Hevel said about the new players' adaptation.

Malaysia have the same 3 points but are behind Vietnam in Group F due to a lower goal difference. If they win at home at Bukit Jalil on June 10, they will not only surpass Vietnam but also open the door to the next round.

With a strong squad and high determination, the home team is showing careful preparation both tactically and mentally. Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team must maintain their composure when playing away.

Close-up of the $50 million stadium of Southeast Asia's richest club JDT's Sultan Ibrahim Stadium is considered one of the most modern football stadiums in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Source: https://znews.vn/malaysia-player-tu-tin-pha-dop-truoc-tuyen-viet-nam-post1559147.html