LAOS head coach Ha Hyeokjun hopes his team can produce a better result when they face Malaysia in their 2027 Asian Cup Qualifier Group F return leg at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tomorrow night.
The South Korean coach acknowledged Malaysia’s superiority in their previous encounter which saw Harimau Malaya secure a comfortable 3-0 win in Vientiane last Thursday.
He said his side had learned valuable lessons from that defeat and are more prepared for tomorrow’s game.
“From that match, we learned from our mistakes, so we are more prepared for tomorrow’s game,“ he told a pre-match press conference here today.
Ha Hyeokjun does not view the issue of naturalised players and the FIFA-FAM registration fiasco involving seven national heritage players as a weakness for the Harimau Malaya squad.
“We’re thinking that the Malaysian team is the same Malaysian team and we’re preparing according to that,“ he said.
He commented that the use of naturalised players has its own advantages and disadvantages for any national team.
“I think it’s a double-edged sword,“ he said regarding naturalised player systems.
He expressed mixed opinions about naturalised players helping improve football in the short term while potentially creating negatives.
Meanwhile, Laos player Kydavone Souvanny admitted that Malaysia’s strength lies in their quality and experience.
“The biggest threat from Malaysia is their strength and quality,“ said the 25-year-old winger.
He noted that many Malaysian players compete in overseas leagues including Japan’s J1 League, giving them an edge in experience and one-on-one ability.
Souvanny confirmed that Laos have studied Malaysia’s style of play and will work to limit their strengths during the match.
After three matches, Malaysia currently lead Group F with nine points in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Vietnam follows in second place with six points while Laos holds third position with three points.
Nepal remains at the bottom of Group F without any points from their matches. – Bernama