KUALA LUMPUR —It is a do-or-die mission for Sarjit Singh’s charges when they take on India in the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) tomorrow. The Speedy Tigers need a decent result to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
The 61-year-old acknowledged the challenge ahead, especially after their 4-2 loss to China yesterday.
This marks the first time Malaysia has failed to win their opening two matches at the ACT since its inception in 2011.
It also marks the Speedy Tigers’ second defeat to China this year, following a 3-2 loss in the Olympic Qualifier in Muscat, Oman, in January.
China, ranked 23rd in the world, outplayed Malaysia in every department, with penalty corners and field goals coming from Jiesheng Gao (9th and 32nd minutes), Changliang Lin (40th minute), and Jieming Chao (56th minute).
Malaysia’s goals came from Azrai Abu Kamal (14th minute) and Faizal Saari (50th minute).
Speaking to Scoop from Hulunbuir, China, Sarjit cautioned his players about the experienced Indian team, describing the Men in Blue as likely the toughest opponents in the tournament.
India, who have won their opening two games—beating China 3-0 and thrashing Japan 5-1 yesterday—pose a formidable challenge.
India has won their opening two games, defeating China 3-0 and thrashing Japan 5-1 yesterday.
“We need to be aware that India won’t be an easy team to play against. They’ve brought 10 players from their Paris Olympic bronze medal-winning squad for this tournament.
“They’ve been in great form even before the tournament, and we must improve our penalty corner execution if we hope to get a decent result.
“In our previous game, we earned nine penalty corners but only scored once. That’s something we must address.
“We have the experience of playing a friendly match against India a month before the Olympics, and we know what to expect when we meet them tomorrow. I hope our defence can put in a solid performance against the Indians, or else it’s going to be tough for us,” said Sarjit when contacted.
Despite the setbacks, Sarjit remains optimistic that his side can qualify for the semi-finals by securing victories in their remaining games against Japan and South Korea.
“I know our chances to qualify are slim, and we’re yet to win in this tournament, but I’m confident we will secure at least two wins in our last few matches.
“To be fair, all the teams are at the same level as us, except for India. It’s up to us to show up on match day. We didn’t in the last two matches, but I hope we can in the remaining games and make it to the semis,” Sarjit added.
Malaysia currently ranks fifth in the ACT standings out of six teams (China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Pakistan) with one point. The top four teams will qualify for the ACT semi-finals. – September 10, 2024