PASUKAN B22 Kebangsaan akan bertemu Honved, pasukan Divisyen 1 Hungray hari ini dalam satu lagi perlawanan persahabatan sebagai persediaan Malaysia menyertai peringkat Kelayakan Kejohanan AFC B22 di Myanmar bermula akhir bulan ini. Ong Kim Swee walau bagaimanapun berasa gusar tentang kemampuan bahagian pertahanan.
National Under-22 coach Ong Kim Swee is still struggling to piece together the right combination for his squad to the AFC Under-22 Asian Cup qualifiers in Myanmar from June 23-July 3.
Kim Swee’s boys, now on a training stint in Europe, will be squaring off against Hungarian Division One club Honved today.
They got off to a bad start in the stint when they lost 5-0 to Ferencvaros on May 23. Then they were held 2-2 by a selection of Brazilian players on trials with top division Hungarian clubs on Sunday.
The team sorely missed first choice centre-backs Mohd Fadhli Shas, who is with the national senior squad, and Amer Saidin, who is out with an injured back.
Kim Swee, who experimented by shifting left-back Fandi Othman into central defence to partner Shahrul Saad, said he was impressed with the duo.
He added that the Honved match should give him a better insight of the team’s weaknesses.
“I don’t mind if the team fail to win a single match on our training stint. We have to remember that our focus is the AFC Under-22 Asian Cup qualifiers,” said Kim Swee.
“This stint will be a good test for the back four. I feel that Fandi, who has more international experience, can take over as one of the regular centre-backs.
“Fandi did quite well as a centre-back but it would be ridiculous to expect him to be as good as Amer or Fadhli in such a short time.
“At this moment, I’m looking at the options available and experimenting with the squad, especially in defence.”
Kim Swee also said the team need to maintain their concentration and focus until the final whistle.
“They are still boys and need to develop this aspect as a lapse in concentration, especially in the dying minutes, can be costly,” said the former international.
The team end their Euro stint with a match against Slovakian Division One side FK Dukla in Banska Bqstrica on June 5.
They will then head to Wuhan, China, for a match against China’s Under-22 squad on June 10.
The team will return to Malaysia to play another friendly against Timor Leste’s U-22 side on June 14 before heading to Yangon for the AFC competition.
By K. RAJAN, THE STAR
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