Tan Cheng Hoe backs new faces to shine against China

KUALA LUMPUR – Interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe believes the absence of several key players from Harimau Malaya's international friendly against China tomorrow will give others an opportunity to prove their worth at international level.

While admitting that the squad he brought to China was not at full strength due to the absence of several key players for various reasons, he remained confident in the abilities of those given the opportunity to wear the national jersey.

He said even the new players had ambitions and dreams of proving themselves at international level, making the match in China an important platform for them to gain valuable experience.

"As a coach, I cannot use the absence of our best players or stalwarts as an excuse.

"I remain positive and want to give the players the opportunity to feature in this international friendly. Most importantly, they will gain experience and the confidence to continue their journey with the national team,” he said in an audio clip shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today.

Commenting on tomorrow's friendly against China at the Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre Stadium in Guangdong, Cheng Hoe acknowledged that the hosts had an advantage in terms of physical strength and experience, adding that China's football standard was higher than Malaysia's.

However, he reminded his players to focus on their own performance and believe they could put up a strong challenge against their hosts, who have already qualified for the Asian Cup Finals.

For the record, China are ranked 96th in the world, while Malaysia are 133rd.

Malaysia have not beaten China in their last five meetings since 2004, losing three times and drawing twice.

The two teams last met in 2023, when they drew 1-1 in an international friendly. –BERNAMA