MALAYSIA STARTS SECOND LEG AS THE UNDERDOGSSINGAPORE - Norizan Bakar is putting up a brave front as he attempts to lead Malaysia to the final of the Asean Football Championship. With an expected 55,000 sell-out crowd at the National Stadium on Saturday to cheer the home team on and the reputation Singapore brings into the tournament as defending champion, surely Malaysian must start their second leg semi-final encounter as the underdog.
What more, with no advantage from the opening leg at the Shah Alam stadium on Tuesday to carry forward for the decisive leg, the Malaysian coach only know too well of the heavy task that lies ahead.
Having lost the oppurtunity to score a victory at home, which they needed to help their cause, they must now throw caution to the wind and push forward in search of the goals to add to the 1-1 result from the first leg.
Yet he remains optimistic that things will end well in Singapore. "There is no question of us running away from the challenge ahead.We are here because we derserve to be here at this stage of the championship. So now it's all up to us to put things together to go for it. And there is nothing to suggest that we will be running scared.
LIONS POISED FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE FINAL APPEARANCESingapore by their own reckoning are nicely poised to make the final of the Asean Football Championship for the second consecutive time.
What more could the defending champion ask for as they look ahead to the second leg of their second leg semi-finals at the National Stadium tonight with no unneccessary baggage to remove and no deficit to erase. With the score at 1-1 from the first leg at the Shah Alam stadium, Singapore knows they are in a comfortable position and given the familiar surroundings and the expected huge crowd support, things are looking up for them.
Tickets sales have been so good in the past few days and the FA of Singapore are not expecting to see any empty spaces on the terraces in the 55,000 seater stadium, weather permitting.
The only concern which Avramovic has to put away at the back of his mind, is the absence of his centreback and the pillar of defence, Aide Iskandar Sahak who is suspended because of two yellow cards is to be replaced by Baihaki Kaizan, a move which Avramovic is least worried about. "It's nice to know we have a strong bench to rely on. Aide is a good player and a good captain but we have a good replacement too," added Avramovic.
And the other good news is that the experienced defender A.Subramani is almost back to 100 per cent after his hamstring injury last week. "He trained well and the signs are good. We will make a decision just before the kick off," added Avramovic. The midfielder Mustafic Fahruddin is also available after serving his one match suspension and indeed the signs are all looking up for Singapore.
"Malaysia I suspect ,will sit back, defend and try to hit us on the counter attack. That's going to be the likely approach they will take," said Avramovic. But Singapore he promises, will take it all in their stride and rise to the challenge.
from singapore pools 
