Dion Cools. - FAM
PETALING JAYA: Harimau Malaya captain Dion Cools is banking on his Japan League One experience to make a difference when Malaysia face Singapore at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Thursday (Sept 3).
Cools, who became the first Malaysian to feature in the J. League after joining Cerezo Osaka in July, believes the exposure to a highly competitive league has sharpened his game.
"The J. League is one of the best in Asia, and competing there every week has given me that extra edge that maybe, some other players don’t have," said Cools at the pre-match press conference yesterday.
"I hope that is something that I can bring to the team and show on the pitch."
The 29-year-old also has the experience of playing in Thailand, having spent two years with Buriram United in the Thai Premier League before he headed to Japan.
After playing Singapore, the national team will take on Palestine for another friendly match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Monday.
Cools added that he was looking forward to playing at the National Stadium, and hoped his defensive counterparts could keep a clean sheet for the hosts.
"It’s always amazing to play at the stadium for our fans, so we hope to bring a performance that people can talk about," he said.
"It’s important that we play as a team and not let them near the goal.
"We have done a good job so far, and we hope to continue it," said the Belgian-Malaysian heritage player.
Meanwhile, head coach Peter Cklamovski is looking forward to the Causeway Derby and is hoping to do better than the recent meeting with Singapore that ended in a goalless draw at the AFF group stage last year.
The next clash against Palestine will be just as vital, and Cklamovski has urged his charges to make the most of both fixtures.
"Singapore have good players and I’m excited about the challenge ahead," said Cklamovski.
"They have played in a certain way for some time now, and I expect them to stick to that.
"Palestine are also tough opponents. Both matches will be valuable opportunities for us to grow and develop our game.”
