Malaysia interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe hopes the feel-good factor within his team will spur the Harimau Malaya to another win against Laos in Group B of the Asean Hyundai Cup 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on Tuesday.
A come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Myanmar in Yangon last weekend provided a massive boost for Malaysia, with captain Paulo Josué netting a brace to secure all three points. It raised Josué’s tally to 11 goals in his international career.
“First of all, we are very happy to have secured three points against Myanmar,” said Tan. “That was only the first hurdle, and we still have several difficult matches ahead of us.”
With a mixed squad of seniors like Josué, Syafiq Ahmad and Mahamadou Sumareh, who was also instrumental in the win over Myanmar, spearheading the team along with a number of newcomers, Tan said the team spirit has been extremely positive.
“The atmosphere has been fantastic,” said Tan, who was the head coach when Malaysia finished runners-up in the 2018 edition and was assistant coach in the nation’s lone Asean Championship title win in 2010.
“We have a good mixture of experienced players, younger players and several uncapped players. That makes this team unique because many of them have not played together regularly. As a coach, I am very happy the experienced players have given their best and are guiding the younger members of the squad.
“The experienced players helped to raise the tempo of the game against Myanmar. The spirit within the team showed we are capable of continuing to improve.”
Laos arrived in Kuala Lumpur following a 5-0 home loss to seven-times champions Thailand but Tan, despite Malaysia being unbeaten against the visitors in nine previous meetings, is treating Vladica Grujić’s side with the utmost respect.
“We cannot underestimate Laos despite their defeat against Thailand,” said Tan. “I watched and analysed their match. They have a relatively young team, and we have to respect them. Any team that suffers a defeat in a tournament will want to bounce back and achieve a positive result.
“They are particularly dangerous on quick counter-attacks. We have to prepare for those situations, avoid losing possession unnecessarily in our own half and be clinical in front of goal.”
Grujić conceded Laos will start the match as underdogs but vowed his young charges will take the game to the Malaysians.
“We know that we will face a very strong opponent tomorrow,” said the Serbian coach. “We have come here to play bravely, remain disciplined and look for our opportunities.
“We play in an amateur league in Laos, while Malaysia have a professional league. However, of course, we can still cause a surprise. Football can produce unexpected results. We lost 5-0 against Thailand, which was a major setback for everyone, but last year we drew 1-1 with them. You never know what can happen in football.”
In nine encounters between the two nations, Malaysia have won seven matches while the other two matches ended in draws.
