KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 ― National football squad head coach, Tan Cheng Hoe praised the performance of Harimau Malaya especially in the second half despite losing 0-1 to Jordan in an international friendly match last night.

Cheng Hoe who is now preparing the strongest lineup to take on Indonesia in the Group G opening match for the second round of the 2022 World Cup / 2023 Asian Cup Qualifier on Sept 5, said his players were bolder and more energetic in the second half compared to the first 45 minutes of play.

“What is positive from the game is the display in the second half. They stepped the tempo and kept the ball well and fought hard to win back the ball when we lost it. You can see the transition and this is the way we want to play.

“If we want to be better, we should be playing at the same tempo not for just 45 minutes but the entire 90 minutes,” he told a media conference after the match at National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here last night.

Advertisement

The game watched by more than 14,000 fans saw the winning goal netted by Jordan’s 29-year-old midfielder Saeed Murjan in the sixth minute which would a tonic for them in their second round Group B opening game against Taiwan. ― Bernama