KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Matthew Davies hailed the resilience of Harimau Malaya, who battled to a priceless 1-0 victory over Timor Leste in their World/Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The win marked two significant factors that provide plenty of positives for interim coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee, who is in running to take over the team full-time.
Malaysia’s success was their first competitive win this year. It also saw them keeping a clean sheet for the first time since their game against Myanmar in the AFF Cup in November.
“Once we went a goal up we were desperate not to let them back into the game,” said Davies, a standout performer in his rightback role.
“That was what pleased us most, that we put much effort on discipline.”
The team — who fell to a lowly 171 on the world rankings last week — were desperate for a first campaign win after the 10-0 thrashing by the United Arab Emirates and the 3-0 forfeit loss to Saudi Arabia.
But with their backs to the wall and playing in scorching conditions, the visitors put on a sturdy and determined effort against a side powered by six naturalised Brazilians.
Ong said: “This was a priceless win in difficult conditions.
“We hung on for 90 minutes and our tactical formations paid off, especially in defence where we kept a clean sheet.”
Ong also praised the impact of Safiq Rahim, who inspired the team with a rousing pep talk despite not being granted permission to play hours before the match.
Davies reiterated his coach’s words about the Johor Darul Takzim midfielder.
“The captain’s encouragement got everyone pumped up. We were eager to get our first win and achieved it. It was crucial for our standing in the group and also did wonders to our confidence,” said the Pahang defender.
The victory saw Malaysia trade places with Timor Leste at the bottom of Group A.
They next face Palestine on Nov 12.
