PETALING JAYA: Harimau Malaya will be without another key player after interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe revealed that captain and defender Dion Cools has left the team for personal reasons.
The 30-year-old Cerezo Osaka player will miss the FIFA Asean Cup third-fourth playoff against Vietnam at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Monday (Oct 5).
Winger Faisal Halim has also left the squad and returned to Selangor for treatment on a calf injury.
"Faisal is unable to be with the team due to an injury. Also, after the recent match against Singapore, Dion has left due to personal matters that he needs to settle urgently. We respect Dion's decision and wish him the very best," said Cheng Hoe.
"In terms of our playing style and defence, Dion plays a very vital role. Not only as a captain, but he also organises and guides the defensive line exceptionally well.
"Credit must be given not just to Dion, but to the entire squad for their commitment across the last three matches, which has been great. I'm immensely proud of our style of play and the good results we achieved."
Despite the absence of both the star players, Cheng Hoe reminded his charges to stay consistent and continue the form they are in where they have not conceded throughout the tournament.
"Of course, we need to step up and maintain consistency because our next opponent, Vietnam, is a formidable team with solid tactical organisation in both attack and defence.
"We've lost to Vietnam many times in the past, but we must approach this match with complete confidence and view it as a prime opportunity to secure a positive result.
"We must sustain our performance and consistency because we have to play as a unit. We cannot forget that team success comes from strong team spirit.
"That fighting spirit is exactly what we need to see this Harimau Malaya team bounce back from past setbacks.
"Matches against Vietnam are always ones we look forward to. Looking back, we've often fallen short against them. We hope that this time, with our best squad and strong momentum, we can yield a positive result.
"Of course, we still have two days for recovery. We need the best possible preparation, both mentally and physically, because Vietnam comes as a very well-prepared side."
