Fresh from the euphoria of defeating Saudi Arabia in the last group match to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, naturally Ong Kim Swee doesn't want the journey to end just yet.
With a potentially tougher match awaiting the Young Tigers in the quarterfinal stage against South Korea, Ong is keen to hammer home the point that they will be no pushovers despite the huge favourites tag siding the country that perennially qualifies for the World Cup.
Driven by the confidence gained after a fine performance against Saudi Arabia, Ong wants to add another chapter in the history books in a short space of time.
"It's another new ride for us. Korea have been at this stage for a very long time. They have a lot of success at youth tournament. We are looking forward to play them and match them as well as possible."
"In terms of playing in this kind of intensity and quality, it's a big challenge for the boys. I hope that we can come out with something. As I've said before the tournament, we are here to learn as well as to create upset," said Ong in the pre-match press conference on Friday.
Having scored with their only meaningful attack against the Saudis and proceeded to defence gallantly, Ong understands that Saturday's game may mirror that of their last group match. As such, there will be a large dependency on the stamina and endurance of the players, if they are to continue to defend well.
"It's about time for us to stop talking about history. It was good but now we have to focus on the quarterfinal. The player have to work extra hard and I expect another battle for my players."
"It's good to have one more day rest compared to South Korea but I believe they have a good squad that can come in, if need be. At this stage, we have to be ready no matter how long we have to play," added Ong.
Malaysia take on South Korea in the quarterfinal on Saturday, with the match kicking off at 4pm (Malaysian time).
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