Ketua jurulatih skuad B-23 negara, Brad Maloney, enggan pemainnya terbuai dengan dua kemenangan pertama dalam Sukan SEA Hanoi 2021 menjelang perlawanan penting menentang Singapura di Stadium Thien Truong petang esok.
Skuad muda negara bermula cemerlang apabila menewaskan Thailand 2-1 dalam perlawanan pertama sebelum membenam Laos 3-1 kelmarin untuk kini menerajui Kumpulan B dengan 6 mata maksimum selepas dua perlawanan.
Bagaimanapun, Maloney enggan anak buahnya hanyut dengan kejayaan itu, sebaliknya menuntut untuk setiap pemain mengekalkan fokus dalam memainkan peranan masing-masing seandainya tidak mahu berputih mata berdepan pasukan Seberang Tambak berkenaan.
"Kami benar-benar perlu fokus bagi perlawanan seterusnya. Apa-apa sahaja boleh berlaku dalam bola sepak," katanya dalam sidang media seperti yang dipetik Nadi Arena.
"Jadi, saya mahu pemain berpijak di bumi nyata.
"Sudah pasti Thailand telah menunjukkan kualiti dan memperoleh keputusan yang baik dalam perlawanan sebelum ini. Kami hanya mahu melaluinya dan berharap dapat meneruskan momentum yang kami ada.
"Sudah pasti kami mahu melangkah jauh dalam kejohanan ini kerana ia merupakan sasaran kami.
"Tetapi tugas kami masih belum selesai," katanya.
Muzaffar Musa
Fri May 13 2022


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