BANGKOK (15 Dec 2015) – Against massive odds, the Malaysian team staged a remarkable turnaround and qualified for the AFF Suzuki Cup final. Coach Dollah Salleh made some significant changes for the second leg and the team managed to pull it together and hand Malaysia only their third final appearance.
Tomorrow’s final will be the second time Thailand and Malaysia will square off for the crown.
Thailand won the inaugural final of 1996 and 18-years on, Malaysia will have the chance to pay back for that defeat and try and to claim the title for a second time since their famous win in 2010 under then coach Datuk K. Rajagopal.
Dollah appears to be of the opinion that since the team is playing well, why change things. In reference to the team which out-played Vietnam in the second leg semifinals 4-2 last week, Dollah said the players did well to contain their opponents.
“What was not right was after we took a 4-1 lead, the players did not play the same game and attack in the second half. We have to change this and I have been telling them that they must play for 90 minutes. Against Thailand in the group stage, we lost because we lost focus at the end,” Dollah said today.
In that game, Malaysia led twice but the Thais eventually netted the winner through Adisak Kraison in dying minutes.
“If we can play the way we did in the earlier matches, we can make it. I think I will likely field the same team which played in the semifinals. All the players did well and we just need to work on a few things.”
In the game against Vietnam, Dollah replaced regular keeper Khairul Fahmi with Mohd Farizal Marlias and also brought in Indra Putra to start ahead of Safee Sali. Mohd Badhri Radzi, Mohd Zubir Azmi and S. Kunanlan also started the game.
Others in the first 11 were Safiq Rahim, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Mohd Shukor Adan, Mohd Fadzli Shas, Amri Yahyah and Azammuddin Akil.
