Coach Tan Cheng Hoe: 'In football, anything can happen'

Coach Tan Cheng Hoe declared that Malaysia still has an opportunity to reverse the outcome, even though they are down 2-0 against Vietnam after the first match. The Malaysian tactician stressed that his squad needs to keep faith, stay united, and avoid being psychologically impacted by adverse records before the return leg.

"Of course, the current result favors Vietnam with a 2-0 scoreline. Vietnam has many advantages, but we are ready for the second leg.

I know the Vietnam team possesses an impressive unbeaten record. However, in football, anything can happen," Coach Tan Cheng Hoe shared.

According to Coach Tan Cheng Hoe, Vietnam's advantage lies not only in the two-goal lead but also in playing in front of a large home crowd. Nevertheless, Malaysia will have its own plan to find a chance to overturn the situation.

"The Vietnam team has the advantage of leading and receiving strong support from their fans. However, we are still preparing for the second leg in our own way. As a coach, I will do everything I can to change Malaysia's unfavorable statistics against Vietnam.

I also don't want the Malaysian players to be affected by the media. The whole team must fight together and grow. I hope the players will gain more match experience and bring back a positive result."

Coach Tan Cheng Hoe also recalled Malaysia's comeback against Vietnam in 2014 as a mental motivation for his players.

"In 2014, Malaysia lost 1-2 in the first leg but then turned the tables. Of course, the current squad has changed a lot. I told the players that if everyone is united and fights together, anything can happen.

Vietnam has many good players and good tactical organization. But if we give our all, Malaysia still has a chance to score and make a difference."

When asked to compare Coach Kim Sang Sik with his predecessor Park Hang Seo, Coach Tan Cheng Hoe said it is very difficult to make an assessment because each coach works with a different set of players.

"For me, it's very hard to compare whether Coach Kim Sang Sik or Park Hang Seo is better, because they have different players at their disposal.

At the moment, the Vietnam team has many good players, and that is clearly a positive sign for your team," Coach Tan Cheng Hoe said.

Meanwhile, defender Aysar Hadi Shapri showed respect for the Vietnam national team but affirmed that Malaysia will not give up.

"The Vietnam team holds the advantage after the first leg. We respect the Vietnam team, but the whole squad will try their best and hope to achieve a positive result in the second leg," Aysar Hadi Shapri shared.