Malaysia's U17 coach relies on spirit for Vietnam rematch

The resilient spirit of Malaysia's young players is expected to be the foundation when their U17 team faces Vietnam U17 in the Southeast Asia U17 Championship final at Gelora Delta Sidoarjo Stadium, Indonesia, at 7:30 PM tomorrow, April 24.

Head coach Shukor Adan wants his players to show their true character despite losing 4-0 to Vietnam U17 in the opening match of Group A.

According to this former Malaysian national player, the team's greatest strength lies not only in tactics but also in the high fighting spirit and discipline the players have demonstrated throughout the tournament.

"In my opinion, the most remarkable aspect of this team is how they bounced back after what happened in the first match.

We can see the players' resilience, not giving up, especially in defense even though they knew the match was not easy," he said.

The Malaysia U17 team previously surprised by losing to Vietnam U17, but then rallied with three consecutive wins against Indonesia and Timor Leste, before defeating Laos U17 in the semifinal.

Coach Shukor admitted the team faced much criticism after the initial loss, but he viewed it as a learning process for the young players.

"We need to understand this is essentially a U17 team but includes U15 players. We were in a tough group with Vietnam and Indonesia, two strong teams.

But afterward, what we focused on was improving morale and fitness to get the team back on track."

That effort paid off when Malaysia defeated Indonesia, reviving their championship dream before advancing to the final.

"For most players, the match against Vietnam was their first international competition. Therefore, it was a learning process.

What I respect most is how they returned with a very strong spirit when facing Indonesia. I must credit the players and coaching staff for always providing motivation and inspiration."

Currently, with a winning streak and rising confidence, Coach Shukor hopes his players will continue to display that spirit to make history in the final.

According to statistics, the Malaysian team has twice won the Southeast Asia U17 Championship in 2013 and 2019.

In the 2019 final, Malaysia defeated Thailand 2-1 in a tense match held in Chonburi, Thailand.