doha: The last-minute loss against Bahrain in the 2023 Asian Cup has had a huge impact on the Harimau Malaya team, with sensational winger Mohammad Faisal Abdul Halim in particular finding it difficult to overcome.
Mohammad Faisal says the result could have been different had he grabbed a chance to score in the first half of the Group E match at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
“I want to score in every game. We were given a chance to score against Bahrain, but I felt Paulo (Josue) was in a better position (to score). But when I reviewed the tape of the game, I realized I should have tried it myself.
“However, the situation on the ground was different from what you see on TV. Although it’s disappointing, I feel that the decision to pass the ball to Paulo was the best one at that time,” he said when we met here today at the team hotel. He spoke at the time.
The 26-year-old Selangor FC player said this when asked if he would like to score against two-time champions South Korea in their final group match at Stadium Al Janoub here on Thursday.
Mohammad Faisal, who was in Malaysia’s first eleven for the first two games, said the players were sad and disappointed with the loss to Bahrain, where they scored the winning goal at the end of second-half stoppage time.
However, he said the players remain positive about facing South Korea, even though Taegeuk Warriors are theoretically the favorites to escape with three points.
“This won’t be an easy game. We’re playing against a team that played in the World Cup. On paper, defeat seems certain for us, but who as a player would want to lose?” he said. Ta.
This is the second time Malaysia and South Korea have met in the group stage of the Asian Cup, with the two teams drawing 1-1 in the 1980 Kuwait tournament. Former striker Zulkifli Hamza scored the equalizing goal for Malaysia.
The last time the two countries met in an official match was in the 1989 World Cup qualifiers, where Malaysia lost 3-0. – Bernama