KUALA LUMPUR: National football legend Indra Putra Mahayuddin believes that Harimau Malaya have the ability to spring a surprise when they face Thailand in the third match of Group B in the Hyundai AFF Cup at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok today.
The former national striker said that two victories over Myanmar and Laos have proven the ability of the squad led by interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, thus giving confidence that they are capable of providing tough opposition to the hosts.
“To me, they have proven their ability through their two previous victories and I don’t see the meeting with Thailand as an impossible challenge to overcome.
“Although we don’t have a truly complete starting eleven, the players have carried out their responsibilities well and I believe they are capable of doing something unexpected in this tournament,” he said.
In fact, he did not rule out that Harimau Malaya may have the opportunity to bring home at least one point from Bangkok if all the players show full commitment throughout the 90 minutes of the match.
“If all the players give 100 per cent, I believe Malaysia can get a positive result.
“This is an opportunity for the players who have been called up to prove their ability, especially when several players cannot be with the team due to FIFA calendar constraints,” he said.
Indra said the absence of midfielder Endrick dos Santos would somehow affect the team but remained confident that Cheng Hoe would have the best choice to fill the vacancy.
“We know the quality Endrick possesses and his role is quite important in the team. Of course, his absence has slightly disrupted the planning, especially in determining the starting line-up.
“However, I believe the coach has other players who are capable of shouldering the responsibility,’’ he added. — Bernama
