COOL heads, they say, must prevail as Causeway football arch-rivals Malaysia and Singapore meet in tonight’s opening match of the inaugural AirMarine Cup at Shah Alam.
Really?
I reckon it’s probably the other way around with temperaments on a high as the derby match inevitably brings out the best from the Tigers and Lions, who hardly ever compromise in any caged do-or-die confrontation.
The head-to-head record favours Malaysia with 30 wins, 21 draws and 21 defeats since 1958. But the Harimau Malaya’s last win over the Lions was 3-1 in the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2014. In their recent encounter in Oct 7, 2016, the match ended goalless.
Yes, besides bragging rights, ranking points are also at stake as Malaysia – ranked 167th in the world – need to beat Singapore (165) to get the valuable points ahead of the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers.
“The pressure is like a pleasure,” says newly-minted Lions coach Nazri Nasir, sounding cheerful on the eve of the big match. “I’m taking this game positively. I see it as a challenge and hope this can rub off on the players.”
Nazri knows pre-match preparations have not been up to par, compared to Malaysia, as the 48-year-old coach only managed to train the Lions twice. The first, a 90-minute session on Monday, focused on small-sided games and finishing. The second, a one-hour session, was conducted on Tuesday evening to home in on tactics.
‘SPIRITS HIGH’
For Tigers coach Tan Cheng Hoe, there’s pressure more than pleasure. He knows Malaysia, who are currently 35th in Asia, are also in danger of playing in the preliminary round of the qualifiers as only the top 34 nations will enter the second round.
He says: “Their (the Malaysian players’) spirits are high – that’s good, but I want to make sure they adapt to the way we play. It is different from their clubs. Training sessions have been different for them, but they’ve adjusted. Playing against Singapore is not going to be easy. I’ve told the boys not to be emotional but just concentrate on the game.”
For Nazri, there’s pleasure in attacking football to overcome the early pressure. He says: “We are not going to sit and wait for Malaysia to attack us. We will pressure them from the start. Chances are very few at international games but when they appear, I want the players to be focused and take these chances.
“We are not expecting a draw. Malaysia will be a very tough opponent, this is a very big rivalry and both sides want to win. But I trust my players to deliver.”
For Cheng Hoe, the Tigers will play their usual attacking football and wants his players to be patient at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. He says: “We respect Singapore, our matches against them have always been tight. I just want the players to keep their focus for 90 minutes. We need to be patient and I don’t want any incidents in this game.
‘DO-OR-DIE MISSION’
“The players know how they should play, like they did in the AFF Suzuki Cup. The new faces need to follow the same momentum and playing style of the national team.”
Describing the match as “always a do-or-die mission”, Nazri says he has received “inside information” from his M-League-based players: Safuwan Baharudin (Pahang), Hariss Harun (Johor Darul Ta’zim) and Shakir Hamzah (Kedah).
“I was appointed as caretaker coach two weeks ago. I only got the players yesterday (Monday) as our league ended on Sunday. We only had a 90-minute light session and recovery,” he adds. “It’s tough for me but all the players are experienced. Having players like Safuwan, Hariss and Shakir is good.
“For example, Safuwan already knows Pahang players such as Matthew (Davies) and (Mohamadou) Sumareh. It helps me to identify their formation, players, strengths and weaknesses. I don’t know everything as a coach which is why they are a big help with their input.”
Pressure or pleasure. Pleasure or pressure, whatever over 90 minutes, this derby match will surely bring out the best in the most feared Asean animals: Lions and Tigers.
For football-starved fans on either side of the Causeway, they will be at the edge of their seats, be it at Shah Alam’s National Stadium or watching the match “live” over Astro Television.
Whatever, historical football knives are out with supporters baying for blood and probably heads to roll, depending on the face-saving outcomes.. – By SURESH NAIR
- Suresh Nair is a Singapore-based sports journalist who believes cool heads will prevail tonight as footballers usually show more common-sense than the warring politicians on either side of the Causeway.
