Pau Marti Vicente, head coach of Malaysia’s national football team, is fully focused on preparing his squad for their first match against the Philippines in the 2024 Pestabola Merdeka semi-final on September 4.
Despite the pressure, Pau Marti is determined to concentrate on ensuring the team’s readiness for the game at Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
In a pre-match press conference, Pau Marti emphasized that his primary focus is on preparing the team rather than dwelling on external pressures. He expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to perform well against the Philippines, currently ranked 147th in the world.
“I don’t have time to think about pressure because the available time is used to prepare the team.” he explained in the pre-match press conference.
“We can’t change what happened in the past so we focus on the future.”
“I try to do my job well to make sure the team performs as well as possible. Football is not easy to win but I try to ensure the best performance of the players.
Syamer Kutty Abba, a key midfielder for Malaysia from Penang FC, echoed the coach’s sentiments, stating that the team’s focus is solely on their own preparations.
He highlighted that coach Pau Marti has urged the players to concentrate on themselves and their future, respecting their opponents but not underestimating them.
“Actually, when we first came (to the national camp), coach Pau Marti stressed to us to focus on ourselves now. We know the changes that have happened (change of coach), with what we have now, is our future.” Syamer said.
“What we can focus on is ourselves. As for the Philippines, they have their own preparations. We respect them. We don’t consider it (the Philippines only had time to practice for one day) an advantage. When playing, everyone will give their best,”
Syamer, along with other midfielders such as Afiq Fazail, Nooa Laine, and Zhafri Yahya, is expected to play a pivotal role in Malaysia’s campaign at Pestabola Merdeka 2024.
Pestabola Merdeka 2024 semi-final between Malaysia vs Philippines will be played 4 September 2024 on 9.00 pm. at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur.
Credit Photo : FAM
