Norizan: Kallang Roar will not unnerve us Malaysia coach Norizan Bakar dismisses the theory that the Kallang Roar will unnerve his players in the second leg of the Asean Football Championship semi-final against Singapore on Saturday (Jan 27).
A full house of 55,000 is expected at Kallang in what looks set to be the last meeting between the arch rivals before the 34-year-old National Stadium makes way for a new sports hub this year.
As of Thursday (Jan 25), 20,000 tickets have already been sold in Singapore while only about 1,000 Malaysian fans are expected to make the trip for this return leg. When asked if playing away in front of a partisan home crowd would affect his players, Norizan shrugged it off, saying that Malaysia have been playing only one home game all competition anyway.
"We have played three games (in the group stage in Bangkok) away from home and we did very well playing against Thailand in front of their own supporters, so I don't think playing there will be any pressure.
"A big part of the preparation is to stress the players will take to the field with a positive attitude. "We deserve to be where we are (in the last four) because of our positive attitude and we are going to make sure we stick to that tomorrow night."
Norizan expects his charges to 'hold nothing back' after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg on Tuesday at Shah Alam. "We did quite well in the first leg and it's only another match to the final. But to me, the match tomorrow is already like a final. So we are not going to hold back," he said at the pre-match press conference on Friday morning.
Despite being held to a draw by ten-man Singapore in the first leg, Norizan saw many positives in his team's performance. "It was a positive result, I feel. Thankfully we have an injury-free squad and I don't think we will have to make too many drastic changes." Which might mean that Fauzie Nan keeps his place in the starting lineup despite the return of left wingback Irwan Fadli Idrus from suspension.
Norizan also said that forward Nizaruddin Yusof - who was taken off just before the break in the first leg - would be fit enough to partner Hairuddin Omar in attack.