WITH the semi-final spot secured, the national Under-23 team will aim to secure the top spot in Group B when they take on Keisuke Honda’s Cambodia at Thien Truong Stadium in Nam Dinh today.
Malaysia, who drew 2-2 with Singapore on Saturday, lead the table with seven points, one more than Thailand, who take on Laos on the same day.
While Laos are out of the running for the semi-finals, Cambodia, on three points, still have an outside chance, provided they thrash Malaysia and Thailand lose badly today.
“We have studied Cambodia’s game, and overall, they are a good team. The Cambodians have quality players like Sieng Chanthea, who plays an integral part in their attacking variations,” said Maloney.
The Australian also advised his players to stick to instructions.
“We have not been rotating a lot, just one or two forced changes so far. However, we might tweak our lineup against Cambodia.
“Defender Ahmad Zikri Khalili had a minor issue with his ankle and did not play against Singapore. He is getting better and should be available tomorrow,” Maloney added.
Meanwhile, right-back Quentin Cheng urged his teammates to go back to basics when they face Cambodia.
“We should just play simple touches to create and finish off chances,
“Football is a game of chances. If we can score tomorrow, then there is a chance of beating Cambodia,” said Quentin.
