PETALING JAYA: National captain Matthew Davies has given his full backing to the ‘’newbies’’ of mixed heritage players in the Malaysian football squad.
Many felt that it was unnecessary to bring in these players but Davies was quick to defend and embrace the inclusion of experienced centrebacks Facundo Garces, Jon Iranzabal and attackers Joal Figueiredo, Imanol Machuca and Rodrigo Holgado.
In fact, the 30-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim defender, who has won 55 caps with the country, believes they will hit the ground running in Malaysia’s crunch match against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
While some adjustments were needed, Davies said the players had integrated into the national set-up ahead of the Vietnam tie.
“They’ve come in, taken it seriously like we all do, and shown real commitment despite the language barriers,” said the Australian-born Davies.
“Integration will naturally take time, but what matters is 100 percent effort, which is needed to get the people on their side.
“No one should judge them any differently than any other player in the team.”
The squad have been undergoing a well-structured centralised camp, which Davies believes has given them a solid base heading into the match.
“The phases were planned carefully. From a sports science perspective, it’s been spot-on,” he said.
“We’ve been building for the past few weeks. We’ve come in fresh and worked hard. Some players are in the middle of their seasons, so the preparation needed to be tailored and I think we’ve done that well.”
Vietnam have been unbeaten against Malaysia since 2014 and Davies acknowledged the challenge.
“We’re focused on how we play as a group. The analysis is more on our game than on the opposition. It’s going to be difficult no matter who we face.
‘‘But if we stick to our plan and keep our identity strong, we’ll give ourselves every chance.”
