KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — The poor pitch condition and the searing heat are among the obtacles waiting for Malaysia when they play Fiji in a friendly match in Nadi on Sunday.
Head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said the pitch at Prince Charles Park Stadium is unsatisfactory while the players have to cope with the hot weather since they are scheduled to play at 2pm local time (10am Malaysian time).
“It is a challenge to all the players. I hope they will be able to prove it is not a problem to get a good result,” he said in an interview. The audio recording was made available to Bernama.
Malaysia has to play in the afternoon as Fiji does not have adequate football facilities, especially floodlights, at almost all stadiums in the country.
“I also understand that the surrounding is expected to grow dark early, at 5pm, and this is the reason for the early kick-off time.”
Kim Swee did not rule out the possibility of fielding unused players such as S. Kumaahran (Penang) and Muhd Amirul Hisham Awang Kechik (Kedah).
Three players would not be fielded due to injury namely Muhd Shahrom Abdul Kalam (Selangor), Abdul Latiff Suhaimi (PDRM) and Muhd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak (JDT II).
The Malaysian team (ranked 173) was slammed by football fans for losing 0-2 to Papua New Guinea (ranked 193) in a friendly match in Port Moresby on June 17.
The Harimau Malaysia squad bounced back to beat New Caledonia 2-1 (ranked 183) in Noumea on June 22. — Bernama
