Malaysian Legend: 'Even without those 7 players, we can still defeat Vietnam'

Malaysian football legend, Datuk Dollah Salleh, made notable remarks ahead of the match against the Vietnam national team, asserting that his team could secure victory even without the seven illegal naturalized players.

The chance to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals for Malaysia officially ended after AFC's penalty related to the seven illegal naturalized players. With a 6-point gap from the leading team, Vietnam, the final match against the red-shirted team is now merely procedural.

Nevertheless, Dollah - a Malaysian football legend - emphasized the importance of this match, particularly regarding honor and spirit. He urged the Harimau Malaya players to disregard external pressures and focus fully on their performance.

“There is no reason we cannot win in Vietnam. Spirit is crucial. If the players enter the match with the mindset of ‘winning at all costs,’ we can absolutely achieve it,” Dollah affirmed.

According to him, the current squad is even better prepared compared to when he coached the team over a decade ago. And losing the seven naturalized players is not a critical issue for the national team.

“I see the current squad is much better than in 2014. Even without those 7 players, we can still win. The key is not to adopt a defeated mentality and give up,” he emphasized.

Dollah Salleh is the most recent coach to help Malaysia defeat Vietnam away, when the "Malayan Tigers" staged a classic comeback in the 2014 AFF Cup semifinals. After losing 1-2 in the first leg, Malaysia won 4-2 right at My Dinh to advance to the finals with a 5-4 aggregate score.

With the experience of defeating Vietnam away, Dollah believes a victory this time would not only have professional significance but also help the team regain fans' trust.

“If we can defeat Vietnam, we can restore our dignity. That would prove Malaysia is still competitive, even without those players,” he added.

Given the Vietnam national team's stable form, Dollah Salleh's remarks will undoubtedly add intensity to the upcoming clash, where Malaysia must play with a nothing-to-lose spirit.

The Vietnam national team is scheduled to have two more training sessions in Hanoi before heading to Ninh Binh to prepare for the match against the Malaysia national team. According to the plan, the team will have its final training on March 30 at Thien Truong Stadium.