Cheng Hoe hails newcomers' contributions in win over Afghanistan

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BY        ZULHILMI ZAINAL       Follow on Twitter

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Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe has praised the newly called-up players in his squad, after seeing them defeat Afghanistan 2-1 in the Airmarine Cup third-place decider match on Saturday.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, he credits his players' ability to bounce back from their lacklustre 1-0 opening match defeat to Singapore on Wednesday.

"It's an important win that helped us recover our morale. At the same time, the players performed with more focus and determination, especially in the second half when we dominated the game. We need to keep the momentum for the upcoming matches.

"After the Singapore match, the men realised that they didn't play well and give their best. They wanted to bounce back in today's match," said the former Kedah boss.

He also took the time to praise the efforts of the Harimau Malaya newcomers, particularly Selangor's Faiz Nasir, who capped off his international debut with a stunning 44th minute curler from outside the box.

"...Faiz for example, it was his debut and he played very, very well. He showed confidence, which is very important for new players just coming in.

"At the same time I think Halim (midfielder Halim Saari) also played well. In overall, the team played with more composure and composure today," said the 51-year old trainer.

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