Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe admitted he is struggling to handle his teamâs injury and availability issues ahead of the ASEAN Hyundai Cupâą 2026 semi-final against defending champions Vietnam on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Tan could be without as many as six of his squad for the first leg of the meeting with the title holders, with Jimmy Raymond, Endrick, Aliff Haiqal and Engku Nur Shakir all ruled out with injury while Wan Kuzain has been recalled by his club in the United States.
Mohamadou Sumareh is also a doubt but, having returned to training, is rated as 50-50 and is expected to undergo a fitness test ahead of kick-off.
âWe didnât have good preparation throughout the week due to injuries to the players but itâs not an excuse,â said Tan. âItâs not easy as a coach to face these problems, the depth of the team is giving me some worries but as a coach Iâm still positive.â
Malaysia have a disappointing record against Vietnam over the last decade with the nationâs last win against the Golden Star Warriors coming in the semi-finals of the 2014 ASEAN Championship.
Tan, however, is taking inspiration from a more recent instance of an underdog springing a surprise result against a more fancied opponent.
âCape Verde playing against Spain (at the FIFA World Cup) and Spain is the favourite team but they could hold them 0-0. That is the motivation,â he said.
âAs a coach in football nothing is impossible when you have the right moment, the right timing. Everything can go right for you if you score a goal at the right time.
âWe need to really focus on the transitions of the Vietnam team because they are quick and fast with good combinations, strong physically especially Nguyá» n XuĂąn Son and (Nguyá» n ÄĂŹnh BáșŻc).
âThey will give us some tough times but Iâm sure our defenders will be ready for the situation because this is all about the challenge and belief in yourself. We have nothing to lose, we will have to prepare our very best.â
In contrast Kim Sang-sik declared his squad to be fully fit ahead of the meeting, which is the first in the knockout rounds between the two nations in the competition since Vietnam defeated the Malaysians in the 2018 final.
âItâs a semi-final so the match wonât be easy,â said Kim. âItâs also an away match so we have to try our best to perform well and the players have to get used to a new style of grass.
âThe Malaysia squad are using 4-4-2 tactics and I know they have good balance. Theyâre a good team but we will try to analyse their weaknesses, prepare for the match and bring a positive result from tomorrowâs match.â
The Vietnamese, who will host the second leg in Hanoi on Wednesday, will take an imposing record into the clash, with Kimâs side not losing since a 2-1 defeat to Thailand in September 2024.
âBeing unbeaten in 22 matches is a good record but we have to maintain this record because itâs historic,â said Kim.
âEvery single player has to do their best. The record is good, but every single match is more important than this history. The players want to keep improving and developing as players themselves.â â aseanutdfc.com
