Malaysia coach expects crowd power to help beat Philippines

Acting Malaysia manager Tan Cheng Hoe has high expectations that the full house at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium will serve as the "12th man" for his side in the crucial Group B clash against Philippines on August 8 in the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup.

Malaysia goes into their final group stage match needing only a draw against Carles Cuadrat's side to book a semifinal spot. Meanwhile, Group B leaders Thailand will host Myanmar in Bangkok in the other fixture, with Myanmar still in contention for a knockout stage place.

"For the coaches and players, this is exactly the kind of atmosphere we always want to experience," Tan said at the pre-match press conference.

"The fans bring huge motivation and truly become the team's 12th player. At the same time, I hope the players won't feel pressured by that atmosphere, because the demands of tomorrow's match will be very high.

"We must stay focused from the first whistle to the final whistle. The players need to believe in themselves, take the field with confidence, and show strong team spirit. Tomorrow will be a decisive and very important match. We have to fully exploit our home advantage."

Malaysia beat Myanmar and Laos in their first two matches before losing 0-2 to Thailand. That result has left the race for the top two places in Group B open to many different scenarios.

The hosts, champions in 2010 and runners-up in 2018 under Tan Cheng Hoe himself, will be without Endrick dos Santos and Jimmy Raymond due to injuries. This opens the door for Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal, a player currently plying his trade in the United States, to start after coming off the bench in previous games.

"Whether I play 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or the full 90 minutes, I will give my all," said Wan Kuzain, who scored in the 4-0 win over Laos. "Whatever opportunity Coach Tan gives me, I will make the most of it and try to contribute positively to the team."

Malaysia has beaten Philippines in all their meetings in the tournament, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. However, coach Carles Cuadrat believes his young players can cause an upset.

"They are a very dangerous team, especially in attack. We have prepared a plan. This is also a chance to make history because Philippines has never won on Malaysian soil," Cuadrat said.

His team currently sits fourth in Group B with 3 points after two losses to Myanmar and Thailand and one win over Laos.

Philippines goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad, who currently plays for Malaysian club Kuala Lumpur FC, believes that Paulo Josue, who has scored three goals in the tournament, is the biggest threat his team needs to be especially wary of.

"Hopefully we can make history by beating Malaysia on their own ground," said Quincy, a member of the Philippines squad that reached the semifinals in 2024. "Paulo is one of their most dangerous attacking threats and I've talked to the coach about him on the way to the stadium. Paulo's quality is beyond question."