KUALA LUMPUR: Interim Harimau Malaya head coach Tan Cheng Hoe was disappointed after his side lost 0-2 to China in an international Tier 1 friendly at the Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre Stadium in Guangdong, last night.
Cheng Hoe said China’s two early goals made it difficult for Malaysia to recover and forced the coaching staff to change their approach.
He said the team played better in the second half, keeping possession and creating more chances but failed to score.
“As a coach I am disappointed with the result. The two early goals made it very difficult for us to turn things around. We played better in the second half, kept the ball well and created more chances.
“But in football when you fall two goals behind so early, you have to make a lot of changes. Still, it was a valuable experience for the players, especially the younger ones, as we prepare for our match against Yemen (Nov 17),” he told the post-match press conference.
China, ranked 96th in the world, scored twice in a 10-minute spell early in the match with Wang Yudong opening the scoring in the 10th minute before captain Zhang Yuning added a second nine minutes later.
Despite being without several key players, Malaysia looked to have pulled one back in the 77th minute when Fergus Tierney capitalised on a defensive mix-up, but the goal was disallowed after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review found a foul in the build-up.
Tierney was later sent off in the closing minutes after receiving a second yellow card.
Earlier, the match was briefly marred by a confrontation in the 44th minute, when defender Dominic Tan kicked the ball towards Alex Yang, who had fallen after a collision with Daniel Ting.
The incident sparked a commotion, with several players and officials from China’s bench rushing onto the pitch before match officials restored order.
Asked about the incident, Cheng Hoe said the intensity was part of the game.
He added that Malaysia had shown China too much respect in the first half and that players needed to control their emotions to stay focused.
Malaysia, ranked 133rd in the world, will face 144th-ranked Yemen in their second Tier 1 international friendly at the same venue on Tuesday. – BERNAMA
