Back To Square One For Football Coach Kim Swee

1 Jun, 2015



SINGAPORE: It’s back to the drawing board for coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee.

The National U-23 trainer will be without influential midfielder Mohd Nazmi Faiz Mansor who is suspended for their second Group B football match against Vietnam at the Bishan Stadium on Tuesday night.

Vietnam are in buoyant mood after thrashing Brunei 6-0 in their opener last Friday. In contrast, Malaysia laboured to a 1-0 win over Timor Leste on Sunday, with 10-man after Nazmi’s dismissal.

Kim Swee is now forced to use rookies Saiful Ridzuan Selamat or Mohd Ariff Farhan Md Isa to fill in for Nazmi, who was sent off for spitting at a Timor Leste player in the 32nd minute.

“Nazmi is our key player. We played so well against Timor Leste before he was sent off ... it’s a blow to us to meet Vietnam without him,” said Kim Swee.

“Three points against Vietnam would be perfect, giving us a better chance of making it to the semi-final. But a defeat doesn’t mean we are out of the competition. Our target is to keep a clean sheet, but we will not go into the match looking for a draw.

“The players showed tremendous fighting spirit against Timor Leste despite playing with 10 men. And I believe we can do much better against Vietnam,” added Kim Swee.

Kim Swee, however, cautioned his players.

“The Vietnamese are very fast. They link up very well when they attack on the left flank with leftback Pham Manh Hung, midfielders Do Dry Manh and Nguyen Huy Hung combining very effectively. Our defenders also need to watch out for the pace of strikers Le Thanh Binh, Tran Phi Son and Nguyen Cong Phuong. I will come up with a plan to stop them,” said Kim Swee.

Sumber - K. Rajan, Star Online www.thestar.com.my