NAYPYITAW (18 Dec 2013) – The Malaysia-Indonesia clash tomorrow in the semi-finals of the men’s football event is a lot like dejavu even though it is not exactly a repeat of two years ago when they met in the final at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
The stadium is new, the players certainly have changed since then but if there is one big similar factor, it is that the tacticians are the same – Datuk Ong Kim Swee for Malaysia and Rahmad Darmawan for Indonesia.
Whether it is by coincident or sheer luck, both teams are staying across the road from each other here in Naypyitaw with the Malaysians being placed at the Royal Guest Hotel while Indonesia are staying at the Sky Palace Hotel.
“It will be a totally different ball game this time round, unlike in the group stage,” said Ong Kim Swee, who attended the women’s Futsal match between Malaysia and Vietnam this afternoon.
“I have seen their matches before but that will count for nothing in the semi-finals. It will be a mind game and the team which make mistakes will pay for it. It was close two years ago and it will be no different this time round.”
His opposite Rahmad, who arrived yesterday afternoon from Yangon, went straight to the Zeyar Thiri Stadium to watch Malaysia edged Vietnam 2-1 in the last Group A match there.
Asked if he had picked up anything interesting about the Malaysians, Rahmad said that in football nothing is predictable.
“I can pick up just few pointers in terms of the quality of the players but as far as tactic is concerned, it is best that I concentrate on my own team,” added Rahmad.
“In our last match against Myanmar, we showed that we have that fighting quality and it is this which is so very important in the semi-final. I don’t want to be at the losing end this time round.”
