logo
Malaysia U-23 team eyes AFF Cup glory with Tierney's diamond mindset

Malaysia U-23 team eyes AFF Cup glory with Tierney's diamond mindset

The Sun09-07-2025
NATIONAL forward Fergus Tierney summed up his approach to the upcoming 2025 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Under-23 Cup with a simple yet powerful phrase: 'Pressure creates diamonds.' The young striker, who has already earned caps at the senior level, remains unfazed by the high expectations as Malaysia prepares for the tournament in Jakarta from July 15 to 29.
Under head coach Nafuzi Zain, the team has been refining its tactics and conditioning in the final stretch before the competition. Tierney expressed confidence in the squad's progress, stating, 'We are learning a lot every day. We still have a week to go before the tournament, so there's still a lot we need to improve.'
His determination was evident in a recent warm-up match against Melaka FC, where he scored twice in a 4-1 victory at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras. Aliff Izwan Yuslan and Muhammad Faris Danish Mohd Asrul contributed the remaining goals, showcasing the team's attacking depth.
Coach Nafuzi emphasized that fitness remains a top priority, noting improvements in speed and movement. However, he acknowledged the tougher challenges ahead, saying, 'We know the real challenge will be much tougher than our current situation.'
With a clear target of reaching the semi-finals, Malaysia will open their Group A campaign against the Philippines on July 15, followed by matches against Brunei on July 18 and hosts Indonesia on July 21. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on July 25, with the final set for July 29. - Bernama
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Malaysian Minister Welcomes Stronger Youth, Sports Cooperation With China
Malaysian Minister Welcomes Stronger Youth, Sports Cooperation With China

Barnama

time4 hours ago

  • Barnama

Malaysian Minister Welcomes Stronger Youth, Sports Cooperation With China

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan said on Sunday that Malaysia welcomes closer youth and sports cooperation with China and looks forward to enhancing bilateral ties by deepening people-to-people exchanges, reported Xinhua. Speaking at a Malaysia-China friendship run held in Sabah state, Yeoh highlighted China's long-standing strength in sports, noting that Malaysia has drawn insights from bilateral exchanges and training collaborations with China. "China is always known as one of the key (sports) leaders in Asia, even at the Olympic level," she added.

WUG 2025: Risky strategy of men's 4x100m quartet flopped in final
WUG 2025: Risky strategy of men's 4x100m quartet flopped in final

New Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

WUG 2025: Risky strategy of men's 4x100m quartet flopped in final

BOCHUM, Germany: A risky move by the national men's 4x100 metre (m) quartet did not work out after finishing last in the final of the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games (WUG) 2025 at Lohrheidestadion here, tonight Malaysia time. In the highlight race, which was also the closing event of athletics competition, the national quartet made a change in strategy by bringing in Mohamad Raimi Mustaffa Kamal to team up with Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam, Mohammad Thaqif Mohammad Hisham and Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi. However, the strategy did not give the expected result after they recorded a time of 40.19 seconds (s), which was slower than the 39.83s recorded in the first round early this morning Malaysia time. For the record, in the national quartet's tactical move, Aliff Iman Mohd Fahimi was to compete in the first round while Mohamad Raimi would be fielded in the final. "This is one of the tactics we have discussed that will involve some risks, at least to receive the baton at the end of the zone because we know that's the only way how we want to utilise and maximise the ability of each runner. "So we took the risk but luck was not on our side but we did our best, we have nothing to regret because today we have proven that we are one of the best in the world, we qualified for the final, I'm proud of this team," said Muhammad Azeem when met after the race. South Korea won gold with a time of 38.50s while the South African selection quartet had to settle for silver (38.80s) and India took home bronze (38.89s). Meanwhile, the national women's 4x400m quartet of Mandy Goh Li, Nurul Aliah Maisarah Nor Azmi, Chelsea Cassiopea Evali Bopulas and Hizillawanty Jamain finished the final in seventh place with a time of 3 minutes 54.88s, thus erasing the season's best of 3:55.21s set in the first round, yesterday. The gold medal went to the home quartet after being the fastest to cross the finish line with a time of 3:29.68s while Poland won silver (3:30.21s) and Canada bronze (3:34.16s). In the women's pole vault final, Nurul Ashikin Abas finished last with a height of 12.70 m. WUG 2025 which began on July 16 ended today with a closing ceremony scheduled to take place at the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord in Duisburg, early this morning Malaysia time. Overall, the Malaysian contingent collected one silver and one bronze each contributed by swimming champions Khiew Hoe Yean and women's badminton singles Wong Ling Ching. Japan emerged as the overall champion after collecting 34 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze, followed by China in second place (30,27,17) and the United States in third place (28,27,29). – BERNAMA

WUG 2025: Risky Strategy Of Men's 4x100m Quartet Flopped In Final
WUG 2025: Risky Strategy Of Men's 4x100m Quartet Flopped In Final

Barnama

time5 hours ago

  • Barnama

WUG 2025: Risky Strategy Of Men's 4x100m Quartet Flopped In Final

From Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Bin Mohamad Arif BOCHUM (Germany), July 27 (Bernama) -- A risky move by the national men's 4x100 metre (m) quartet did not work out after finishing last in the final of the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games (WUG) 2025 at Lohrheidestadion here, tonight Malaysia time. In the highlight race, which was also the closing event of athletics competition, the national quartet made a change in strategy by bringing in Mohamad Raimi Mustaffa Kamal to team up with Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam, Mohammad Thaqif Mohammad Hisham and Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi. bootstrap slideshow However, the strategy did not give the expected result after they recorded a time of 40.19 seconds (s), which was slower than the 39.83s recorded in the first round early this morning Malaysia time. For the record, in the national quartet's tactical move, Aliff Iman Mohd Fahimi was to compete in the first round while Mohamad Raimi would be fielded in the final. 'This is one of the tactics we have discussed that will involve some risks, at least to receive the baton at the end of the zone because we know that's the only way how we want to utilise and maximise the ability of each runner. 'So we took the risk but luck was not on our side but we did our best, we have nothing to regret because today we have proven that we are one of the best in the world, we qualified for the final, I'm proud of this team,' said Muhammad Azeem when met after the race. South Korea won gold with a time of 38.50s while the South African selection quartet had to settle for silver (38.80s) and India took home bronze (38.89s). Meanwhile, the national women's 4x400m quartet of Mandy Goh Li, Nurul Aliah Maisarah Nor Azmi, Chelsea Cassiopea Evali Bopulas and Hizillawanty Jamain finished the final in seventh place with a time of 3 minutes 54.88s, thus erasing the season's best of 3:55.21s set in the first round, yesterday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store