AFF Cup 2021: Identifying the Malaysian National Team

Many people consider the Malaysian team to be a tough opponent in the group stage. The Malaysian team is also a formidable opponent for...Vietnam National TeamIn the 2018 AFF Cup final, the "Malay Tigers" actually only lost 0-1 after 90 minutes at My Dinh Stadium, having drawn 2-2 with Coach Park's team in the first leg at home. In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, our national team also won both matches against the Malaysian team during their youth development process.

"Malay Tigers" lose half their squad.

The Malaysian national team is also Vietnam's opponent in the 2018 AFF Cup final. Photo: AFC

Compared to the 2018 AFF Cup, this time coach Park Hang-seo has lost 6 players from the starting lineup: goalkeeper Van Lam, defender Van Hau, midfielders Hung Dung, Trong Hoang, Huy Hung, and striker Van Quyet, while coach Tan Cheng-Hoe has also dropped 5 players.

The biggest surprise was Tan's decision to drop goalkeeper and captain Farizal Marlias (Johor Darul Takzim FC). After the 1-2 defeat against Vietnam in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the 35-year-old goalkeeper was no longer part of Tan's plans to rejuvenate the squad. In the recent match against Thailand, Tan chose 32-year-old goalkeeper Mohd Khalid.

Besides captain Farizal, four other players – right-back Matthew Davies, central midfielder Nazmi Faiz Mansor, winger Arif Aiman ​​Hanapi, and left-back La'Vere Ong Corbin – will also be absent from the upcoming AFF Cup. These are players who regularly feature when coach Tan Cheng-Hoe uses them in the 4-1-4-1 formation. This is quite surprising, as the Australian right-back has played for his national team for five years with 23 appearances, demonstrating good physical fitness and the ability to attack down the wing, which previously troubled Vietnam's Van Hau.

English naturalized player La'Vere Ong Corbin plays on the left wing. The 30-year-old defender still has relatively good physical fitness, isn't afraid of tackles, and has made some lightning-fast runs down the wing. Perhaps the lack of accurate crosses is the reason he was left out?

Playing as a defensive midfielder in a 4-1-4-1 formation, Nazmi Faiz Mansor, wearing number 12, is at a disadvantage due to his height of 1.66m. Coach Tan has Ahmad playing well, so he has "overlooked" this player. For a long time, 19-year-old Arif Aiman ​​Hanapi has been the backup option for naturalized player Sumareh, wearing number 13. In fact, even Sumareh's recent form has been inconsistent, with a low goal-scoring rate in the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Therefore, his absence from Singapore is simply due to his less-than-ideal form. In the future, Vietnamese fans may very well see this number 18 return to the "Malay Tigers" national team.

There are 3 naturalized players.

Vietnam and Malaysia, two contenders for the top spot in Group B. Photo: DV

For whatever reason, the reigning AFF Cup runners-up will undoubtedly face considerable difficulties after losing two full-backs and their best goalkeeper at the moment. However, they will certainly remain a formidable opponent for Coach Park Hang-seo's team, as Coach Tan's youth development policy over the past two years has brought a fresh perspective to the Malaysian players' style of play. Their squad still includes several naturalized players such as Guiherme de Paula, Sumareh, and Krasiniqi, who are already very familiar with our playing style.