Before welcoming the Philippines in the last match of Group B ASEAN Cup 2026, coach Tan Cheng Hoe said that the Malaysian team really needs the companionship of home fans in the race to win a ticket to the semi-finals.
According to the 57-year-old coach, the cheers of fans will bring great motivation to the players in a decisive match.
As a coach and player, this is the atmosphere we want to experience. Fans bring great motivation and truly become the 12th player of the team," coach Tan Cheng Hoe said.
Despite appreciating the home advantage, coach Tan Cheng Hoe also asked his players to maintain concentration throughout 90 minutes, avoiding the pressure from the importance of the match affecting the performance.
Malaysia is holding the right to self-determination in Group B after winning 6 points through 3 matches. This team successively won against Myanmar 2-1 and Laos 4-0 before losing to Thailand 0-2. Just not losing to the Philippines in the last match, coach Tan Cheng Hoe's team will officially participate in the semi-finals of ASEAN Cup 2026.
However, the home team also faced difficulties in terms of force when Endrick dos Santos and Jimmy Raymond could not play due to injury. This opened up opportunities for Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal, a midfielder playing in the US and who scored in the 4-0 victory over Laos.
On the opposite side, the Philippines still has a chance to compete for a ticket to the next round if they win at Kuala Lumpur stadium. Coach Carles Cuadrat's team is expected to play with high determination to create a surprise against Malaysia.
The match between Malaysia and the Philippines will take place at 8:00 PM on August 8. The result of this match will decide the remaining ticket of Group B to the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals.
