THE battle lines have been drawn – and Malaysia were given a first taste of “hostility” instead of hospitality during training yesterday.
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| THE battle lines have been drawn – and Malaysia were given a first taste of “hostility” instead of hospitality during training yesterday |
The national team were “designated” to train at the Jaran Buraparat pitch. Imagine the dismay and horror when they arrived at a field which was in far worse condition than many school fields in Malaysia.
The pitch was water-logged, the goal posts were rusty and the nets were torn. That’s not all, the players also had to change by the roadside as there was no changing room or toilet available at the training ground.
That really riled up Malaysian team manager Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, who immediately lodged an official complaint with the Asean Football Federation (AFF) and the Thai FA.
Malaysia are in Bangkok for the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final match against Thailand after the first leg in Kuala Lumpur ended 1-1 on Sunday.
“I’m disappointed with the condition of the pitch … it looks more like a paddy field and poses injury risks to our players,” said Subahan.
“We have a number of players coming back from injuries and we can’t risk them training on this pitch. It looks likes like a public field and offers us no privacy.
“I don’t know whether this is part of the Thai FA’s plan to disrupt our preparation for the second-leg match … but it has surely disrupted our training plans for today.”
What irked Subahan the most is that the Football Association of Malaysian (FAM) had treated the Thai team to the best of Malaysian hospitality when they were in Kuala Lumpur for the first leg semi final tie last Saturday.
“The Thai team bus was accorded police escort during their travels and were given the well-maintained Maybank Sports Complex to train,” he said.
“I find it disrespectful of the Thai FA … when we hosted them, we gave them the best treatment.”
FROM K. RAJAN IN BANGKOK (The Star)
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