Having been given the honour to coach the national football team, Nazri Nasir could not have asked for a more difficult opponent for his debut, one that could turn his dream job into a nightmare.
Facing arch-rivals Malaysia tonight in the AirMarine Cup at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, the former national captain is embracing the stress and strain of the fixture though.
"The pressure is like a pleasure," he told The Straits Times yesterday from Kuala Lumpur, sounding cheerful. "I am taking this game positively. I see it as a challenge and hope this can rub off on the players."
On March 7, the Football Association of Singapore announced Nazri as the caretaker coach, leading the Lions for this week's AirMarine Cup quadrangular, the team's first outing since last November's Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup.
Singapore will meet Malaysia tonight while Oman play Afghanistan on the same day.
The winners will contest the final on Saturday while the losers will play in the third-place play-off.
Since then, the 48-year-old coach managed to train the squad only twice. The first, a 90-minute session on Monday, focused on small-sided games and finishing.
The second, a one-hour session, was conducted yesterday evening to home in on tactics.
Apart from goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam, who is nursing a calf strain, the rest of the 22-strong squad have no injury problems.
The Lions are currently ranked 165th in the world by global football governing body Fifa while Malaysia are two rungs below.
But at the Suzuki Cup last year, it was the Tigers who performed better, reaching the final before losing 3-2 to Vietnam while the Lions crashed out at the group stage.
Tigers coach Tan Cheng Hoe told Malaysian media: "Their (the Malaysian players') spirits are high - that's good, but I want to make sure they adapt to the way we play.
"It is different from their clubs. Training sessions have been different for them, but they've adjusted.
"Playing against Singapore is not going to be easy. I've told the boys not to be emotional but just concentrate on the game."
And even though Malaysia have the home advantage and better recent form, Nazri can sense the determination coursing through the Singapore team ahead of the Causeway derby.
He said: "Even from one training session, I can see all players are eager to go. Guys like (Khairul) Amri, (Khairul) Nizam, Yasir (Hanapi), Gabriel (Quak) and Faris (Ramli) all looked very sharp. All players are hungry to be in the first XI.
"We are not going to sit and wait for Malaysia to attack us. We will pressure them from the start. Chances are very few at international games but when they appear, I want the players to be focused and take these chances.
"We are not expecting a draw. Malaysia will be a very tough opponent, this is a very big rivalry and both sides want to win. But I trust my players to deliver."
MALAYSIA V SINGAPORE
Singtel TV Ch111, 8.40pm
Wolves deepen Cardiff's relegation plight with 2-0 win. March 2 - - Wolverhampton Wanderers shook off their recent poor Premier League form to ease past Cardiff City 2-0 on Saturday and leave the Welsh team in the relegation zone after a third straight defeat.
Wolves deepen Cardiff's relegation plight with 2-0 win
Liverpool held at Everton to surrender top spot in Premier League Liverpool were left to regret two huge missed chances by Mohamed Salah as Everton held out for a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside
Liverpool held at Everton to surrender top spot in Premier
Football. Crowds flock to Argentine village to pay tribute to footballer Sala. "We all carry Emi in our hearts," said Mayor Julio Muller in an emotional tribute. Sala had played for Nantes
Crowds flock to Argentine village to pay tribute to
yankeesunscripted.com/2019/02/18/crowds-flock-to-argentine-village-to-pay-tribute-to.html
Sala was the best-known figure from Progreso, a town of several thousand inhabitants in Argentina's Santa Fe province, and was adored by many. Sala's father, Horacio, was devastated by his son's death, family members said, and refused for days to leave his home. This was to enable friends and family to pay their last respects.
Gareth Bale '100 per cent committed' to Real Madrid and wants to end career with club, says agent. The Wales international is available this summer but has expressed a desire to remain in Madrid
Thibaut Courtois said Real Madrid had "chances to kill off the game" as the star goalkeeper lamented his side's 2-2 draw away to Villarreal in LaLiga. Thibaut Courtois rues Real Madrid's missed
Barcelona rues missed chances in Clasico draw vs - FOX Sports
Liverpool face a testing Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, but have made a statement by reaching the last four for the second straight year and are equipped to deal with the very best, manager Juergen Klopp said.
Official Liverpool FC Store | Liverpool FC Ball
AD
store.liverpoolfc.com/ball
Report Ad
Browse Our Wide Range Of Exclusive Liverpool FC Souvenirs. Shop Online Now.
Klopp : Liverpool 'did all we could' in Premier League race By Mod - 2019-05-12 19:02:07 - [ ] Jurgen Klopp said his Liverpool team could not have done anything more after they finished just one point behind defending champions Manchester City in their bid to win the Premier League title.
Klopp: Liverpool 'did all we could' in Premier League race
Manchester United's Champions League hopes were hanging by a thread after a 2-0 home defeat by Paris St Germain in their round-of-16, first leg match on Tuesday, with talisman Paul Pogba sent off
PSG take charge with 2-0 win at United, Pogba sent off
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's instant impact as Manchester United interim manager continued in his first home game in charge as two goals from Paul Pogba helped his team secure a 3-1 win over Huddersfield.
Pogba strikes twice as Man United win on Solskjaer home bow
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has vowed to sign the right players for the club when the transfer window reopens in the summer. Solskjaer made this known during his pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend's game in the Premier League.
SINGAPORE — Almost seven months after a historic election marked by high drama, the dust has settled and the newly-elected Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Council has gone about its work
New FAS technical director aims to awake 'sleeping giant'
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 07, 2019, with the headline 'Hazard leads tributes for departing Fabregas'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
Chelsea attacker Hazard pays tribute to departing Fabregas
Real Madrid have signed Serbia striker Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt for 60 million euros (£52.39 million), television channel Sky Germany said on Thursday. Soccer Football - Europa League
Real Madrid sign Jovic for 60 million euros - report
Neymar will miss both legs of Paris Saint-Germains upcoming Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United after the French club confirmed on Tuesday that the worlds most expensive player
Neymar to miss Man Utd tie after being ruled out for 10 weeks
Belgium top FIFA rankings but England on the rise Belgium hold on to top spot in the latest FIFA world football rankings released Thursday while England are on the rise, snatching fourth place from World Cup finalists Croatia.
0 comments:
Post a Comment