I am not really follow this year SEA Games. I don’t know why..maybe I am just too busy lately. After our young Malaysian started this year SEA Games with record breaking win 11-0 against Timor Leste… I am still not convinced with them especially after losing 1-3 against Vietnam in one sided match. However, these guys capability to shock Thailand in their last match only means that they have pride and want to prove something to all Malaysian.

Pride is something that missing in Malaysian squad. We have quality young players but once they losing their pride by ages..then our football future is  gone!

As Malaysian footballer in international stage, being a loser is nothing to be shame off. They normally started their career as a loser and end their career as big fat loser. Everytime after losing in each match.. they just accept the result and go home. No need to give an excuse to the press because nobody care.

But.. losing to Vietnam is something that change Malaysian team in this year SEA Games. The good thing in that match – THEY FIGHT & SHOW THEIR RAGE after losing the match. Malaysian players already lose that PASSION long time ago but what happen against Vietnam bring the passion back.

Our own newspaper hit them hard for their behavior. They know that if they come back home early… they will get hit even harder. So.. they play hard to win…this is the missing jigsaw that we called PRIDE.

About the semi-final match against Laos…. there are nothing that shock me. Laos is not a good team and not even close to our squad quality. Got a favorable draw and be in the same group with Singapore and Indonesia. Indonesia never have a good U23 squad before and Singapore also only rely on import players for their national squad. For U23 squad….Singapore was nothing!!

2 goals from Baddrol Bakhtiar in 13th minute and 79th minutes and also the third goal by Safiq Rahim in 84th minutes proves Malaysia was too good for them. Another semi-final match that end up Vietnam thrashing Singapore 4-1 show how unbalance the grouping draw.

Although I don’t think that I have time to watch this Thursday final match against Vietnam but I hope they will continue playing with PRIDE and thinking about how sweet a revenge against Vietnam because it is the only way they can come back with GOLD medal after 20 years in waiting.