JAKARTA, Sept 4 — National striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha was the only player in the current squad who faced an anxious moment when he had to be ferried by an armoured personnel carrier when Malaysia lifted the AFF Cup after defeating Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium here in 2010.
National head coach Tan Cheng Hoe believes he can tap on this experience of Norshahrul, who was surrounded by Indonesian supporters and had hard objects thrown at him then, when Malaysia face Indonesia in their Group G second round World Cup 2022/Asia Cup 2023 qualifier tomorrow night.
Cheng Hoe said the 33-year-old Pahang striker, fondly known as Mat Yo, can help the young national players cope with the expected intense pressure from tens of thousands of Garuda squad supporters.
“The 2010 squad is different from the 2019 squad, and now the team is left with Mat Yo (Norshahrul) only. Of course with his experience, I hope he can guide the team, especially in the attacking formation,” he said when met by reporters here today.
The 51-year-old former Kedah coach, however, explained the mission to bring home three valuable points is not solely on Norshahrul’s shoulders but the entire Harimau Malaya squad.
He said every player is in high spirits and will use a team-based approach to secure victory in the match.
For the record, Malaysia won the 2010 edition of the AFF Cup after defeating Indonesia 4-2 over two legs in the final.
Indonesia and Malaysia have met at the international level 95 times since 1957, with Indonesia winning 3-0 in an international friendly in 2016. — Bernama
