SINGAPORE - 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 on Wednesday (March 20) 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 on Tuesday 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 Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup in November 2018.
Singapore will meet Malaysia on Wednesday 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 on Tuesday 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 in 2018, 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."
Report Ad
Check Out Klopp on eBay. Fill Your Cart With Color Today!
Read more about Pele 'recovering well' after kidney stones surgery on Business Standard. A Brazilian hospital says Pele is "recovering well" after undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones. The Albert Einstein hospital said in a statement Friday that the 74-year-old Pele remains in good condition a day after the procedure in Sao
Pele 'recovering well' after kidney stones surgery
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian captain Thiago Silva has been granted French citizenship, he announced on Twitter on Friday. The 34-year-old's decision means PSG have an extra space in their squad for a non-EU player. Silva has played 274 games since joining the reigning Ligue 1 champions in 2012 and has 77 caps for Brazil.
PSG captain Thiago Silva receives French citizenship
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned that some Manchester United players will not represent the club again after admitting they deserve to be in the Europa League next season and are miles adrift of the country's top clubs.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits playing in Europa League is right
Life Cycle Of Stars study guide by Hammertaf includes 10 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades.
It seems Salah's position is influencing his stats. Some of the differences in the numbers are logical. Salah dribbles more and makes defensive actions more frequently when he is on the right, rather than when he is the focal point of the team. He also has more touches in the penalty box when playing centrally too.
Salah: "I don't score for a few games & there are players on
UEFA Champions League: 'Super difficult' for Neymar to be fit to face Manchester United, says PSG coach Description: Neymar missed the last three months of last season as a result, including the second leg of PSG's Champions League last-16 defeat against Real Madrid. He only returned just in time for the World Cup.
'Super difficult' for Neymar to be fit to face Man Utd, says
'Victory and goal for Sala', says Cardiff captain Bamba
Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw at Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night. Relive all the action from Commerzbank-Arena with Sportsmail's Max Winters.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Chelsea: Pedro's vital away goal
Singapore international striker Ikhsan Fandi moved to Europe with Raufoss IL earlier this year and the 20-year-old has now scored his first goal in the Norwegian First Division in stunning fashion!
Football: Ikhsan Fandi scores in third successive match for
worldsportstale.com/soccer/football-ikhsan-fandi-scores-in-third-successive-match-for-raufoss/
05/22/2019 Comments Off on Football: Ikhsan Fandi scores in third successive match for Raufoss SINGAPORE - Ikhsan Fandi's rich vein of scoring form continues as the Singapore striker found the net in his third consecutive match for second-tier Norwegian club Raufoss IL in just 11 days.
Football: Ikhsan Fandi scores in third successive match for
virginiabus.info/sports/football-ikhsan-fandi-scores-in-third-successive-match-for-raufoss/
SINGAPORE - Ikhsan Fandi's rich vein of scoring form continues as the Singapore striker found the net in his third consecutive match for second-tier Norwegian club Raufoss IL in just 11 days. On Wednesday (May 22), the 20-year-old opened the scoring at third-tier Fram Larvik in the 33rd minute of the second-round Norwegian Football Cup tie.
Football: Ikhsan Fandi scores in third successive match for
I'll never be one to scare anyone away from living abroad, but do so with eyes wide open. Know the risks you're walking into and create a plan. Consider safety when you choose a place to live, decide how late to stay out, and how to manage your money. Finally, read the local news to know what's happening in your area. Making ends meet
The Leap | Reviews and Programs | Go Overseas
Buchanan goal helps Canada to win over Cameroon in World Cup opener. 6 hours ago. Centre back Kadeisha Buchanan scored the breakthrough goal on the eve of halftime against a stubborn Cameroon defence Monday as Canada opened its Women's World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win.
'Serene' Quagliarella becomes Italy's oldest scorer at 36 PARMA • Fabio Quagliarella attributed his new-found inner peace, following years of being harassed by a stalker, to his stunning form for club and country after the 36-year-old became the oldest player to score for Italy on Tuesday.
Quagliarella becomes oldest Italy scorer - Daily Nation
Juventus achieved their objective, despite everything going wrong - Allegri even on a night where everything seemed to go wrong," Allegri told Rai Sport. [Dybala's disallowed goal] was
Juventus achieved their objective, despite everything going
Gini Wijnaldum has revealed what Liverpool have learned from their defeat at Manchester City earlier this month. The Reds were beaten 2-1 at the Etihad on January 3 in a dramatic encounter between
Klopp: Reds can make the next step | eir Sport
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar