Calm before the storm: Coach Matt Ross (left) posing for a photograph with his captain Kiran Kumar during the pre-match press conference. — FAM
PETALING JAYA: Matt Ross is just two weeks into his coaching stint with Nepal, but he has made an instant impact with the South Asian nation.
The Australian shocked the South-East Asian footballing world when he led the Gorkhalis to a 1-0 win against Singapore in an international friendly at the National Stadium in Singapore on March 21.
Ross said having the right mindset was the key after his world No. 175 team defeated Singapore, ranked 15 rungs above them.
“We have excellent and technical players. I commend their self-belief. They have a warrior mindset, and went after their goals with their life. They believe they can qualify for the Asian Cup,” said Ross, who last coached United Football Cup in United Arab Emirates before joining Nepal.
“They are starting to believe. I provided the structure and organisation but the rest is coming from them.”
The win has given some confidence to Nepal as they face off against world No. 132 Malaysia, in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri today.
“The match in Singapore was the perfect preparation for us before the Malaysian game.
“It’ll be a tougher test against Malaysia. It is difficult to analyse their game because they have a new coach and some new players.
“But it makes it simpler for us because we have to just focus on ourselves.”
When asked how it felt about taking on his fellow countryman Peter Cklamovski, Ross said he was looking forward to it.
“It’s a proud moment as Australian coaches are beginning to make their mark as top tacticians in football.
“I have studied Peter’s teams in the J-League and I have an idea of his philosophy. He has had a short time to implement his ideas with Malaysia, so it would be tough to figure out the game plan
“All I can say is we are ready for Plan A, B and C from Malaysia. All we need is self-belief.
“We know it would be a physical game. This is an area I am confident with the players. Not one of our players has backed away from a 50-50 duel.”
