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Usah abaikan Piala Asia: Zolkples

Kuala Lumpur: Jangan abaikan Piala Asia walaupun sudah layak ke Piala Dunia 2014.
Itu peringatan Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong selepas skuad negara kecundang 1-4 kepada Pakistan dalam perlawanan kedua peringkat Kumpulan A yang berlangsung di Ipoh, kelmarin.

“Saya berharap pemain negara tidak leka dengan kejayaan yang dicapai (secara matematiknya Malaysia sudah layak ke Piala Dunia) kerana kejohanan ini terlalu penting untuk kita tampil sebagai juara selepas belum pernah menjuarainya. Ini peluang terbaik untuk kita mempamerkan kehebatan selepas mendapat sokongan padu penonton tempatan yang mampu memberikan motivasi untuk pemain mempamerkan prestasi terbaik,” katanya.
Menurutnya, Pakistan beraksi jauh lebih baik daripada negara terutamanya apabila kebanyakan gol dihasilkan menerusi serangan balas dengan beberapa pemain utama skuad kebangsaan turut beraksi di bawah tahap sebenar.

“Saya memaklumkan kepada pengurus pasukan George Koshy sebelum ini yang kita boleh menjaringkan sehingga 50 gol menentang lawan seperti Taiwan namun membiarkan lawan menjaringkan dua gol, terutamanya gol pertama seawal minit kedua sesuatu yang sukar diterima. “Bagaimanapun saya yakin jurulatih (Paul Revington) tahu apa yang perlu diperbaiki menjelang aksi menentang Jepun esok (hari ini) apabila kita tidak boleh tewas bagi memastikan tiket ke separuh akhir terjamin,” katanya.

Kemenangan bergaya Pakistan itu membolehkan mereka mengesahkan tempat ke separuh akhir dengan meraih enam mata menerusi dua perlawanan manakala Malaysia dan Jepun kini terikat tiga mata namun skuad negara mempunyai kelebihan jaringan selepas membelasah Taiwan 10-2 pada aksi pembukaan.
Malaysia kini hanya menunggu pengumuman rasmi selepas semua kejohanan antara benua menutup tirai seandainya gagal menjuarai Piala Asia kali ini.

Skuad negara kini hanya perlu menantikan keputusan rasmi kejohanan hoki Oceania yang dijadualkan berlangsung dari 28 Oktober hingga 3 November yang hanya disertai empat negara iaitu Australia dan New Zealand serta dua pasukan kerdil Papua New Guinea (ranking 69 dunia) dan Samoa (72 dunia).
Australia dan New Zealand yang sudah layak ke Piala Dunia hampir pasti menjuarai kejohanan berkenaan dengan tiket akan diberikan kepada skuad negara yang berada dalam senarai menunggu



Oleh Azlan Muhammad Zain, Arena - Harian Metro

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