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AFF Suzuki Cup: Raja hails young guns

THEY arrived in armoured carriers and left in the same way but there was no denying that this Malaysian team needed no protection on the field. The sweat and tears were amply rewarded and even the jeers that accompanied their victory dance could not dampen the joyous celebration of the players.

Coach K. Rajagobal saluted the heroic efforts of his young players who backed up their Sea Games success last year with a history-defining win in the AFF Suzuki Cup yesterday.

After being given little hope of even advancing past the group stage, the national team will return home triumphantly after defying the jeers of 95,000 Indonesian fans for a 4-2 aggregate victory.
"I am very proud of my players, the young players especially the defenders," said Rajagobal yesterday.

"We were confident of winning it here as we have shown against Thailand and Vietnam previously that we are good enough.

"We always knew Indonesia would come at us and we relied on the counter to try to score a goal. I knew a goal would come and after we scored, there was no way they were going to put five past us."

Khairul Fahmi Che Mat's penalty save was the defining moment of the match although Rajagobal said it would not have mattered had Firman Utina scored.

"So what if they scored the penalty? I know in your minds that it would have changed things but it would not. We still would have been able to score and then it is back to square one for them.

"Safee (Sali) scored a beautiful goal from a defence-splitting pass and that is exactly why we are the champions because we are the better team."


Read more: NST

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