KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian women’s head coach, Soleen Al-Zoubi, is eyeing an all-important win against Pakistan.
The 37-year-old coach said that only a victory against the Falcons can guarantee the Malayan Tigress a spot in the semifinals of the international friendly tournament hosted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
“We only have one option to qualify for the semifinals, and that can only be achieved by defeating Pakistan.
“Our opening performance against Saudi Arabia was good, and I hope that we can remain calmer and be physically more relaxed so that we can perform better in Friday’s game.
“The girls need to learn from their mistakes in the previous game, such as improving their attacking and finishing. I hope they can make amends and complete the task with a win,” said Soleen.
Soleen further stated that she is impressed with the progress shown by her players in training and applauds their winning mentality.
“The preparations of my players have been good, and both myself and the coaching staff have been providing good feedback to them based on what they have done.
“I admire the winning mentality of the players. They were quite frustrated for not getting the win in the last match, and I find that to be a positive sign.
“We have been working hard to instil this mentality on the field, and I can feel the hunger and desire they have within them,” added Soleen.
Meanwhile, midfielder Nur Lyana Soberi, who also plays for KFF Presingu in the Kosovo women’s football league, said that she has been working closely with Soleen to become the key playmaker in the team.
“For the next game, our preparation has been really good so far, and I have been working closely with coach Soleen to improve my flaws and become the main playmaker in the team.
“We are all fighting for our place in the starting lineup, and I believe that whoever the coach fields in the game will do their best,” said Lyana.
Malaysia drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in their opening fixture of the tournament on Monday in Taif.
In Monday’s other match, Lebanon beat Laos 4-1 to take an early lead in the competition’s standings with three points.
The competition also includes Bhutan, Lebanon, Laos, and Pakistan and runs from September 18 to 30.
The national women’s team will play against Pakistan on Friday at 1:30 am (Malaysian time).
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semifinals. — September 20, 2023.