With a plethora of experienced players having graduated into the senior team, the new batch of Malaysian juniors are upbeat about the 12th edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup which starts tomorrow.
Nine out of the 20 players were part of last year’s Junior World Cup team that was held in Kuala Lumpur, including goalkeepers Mohammad Rafaizul Mohamad Saini and Muhammad Danish Afnan Mohd Faizal.
Coach I Vikneswaran’s Young Tigers will go on show on Saturday night at 8.30pm at the Johor Hockey Stadium, Taman Daya, in Johor Bahru against New Zealand. The Young Black Sticks have been finding it hard to get a grip on the trophy again which they last won in 2014.
In earlier matches, PR Sreejesh’s India will face Japan (4pm), while Australia will go head-to-head against Great Britain (6.15pm).
The SOJC will be a battle ground for the Malaysians, Indians and Japanese who are gearing up for the Junior Asia Cup (JAC) which is only a month away in Oman. The JAC is a qualifying event for the Junior World Cup 2025 in India.
The Australians, SOJC champions in 2016 and 2017, and Kiwis are equally caught up in the Oceania qualifiers fever.
Back on the local front, the Young Tigers will look to redeem their pride by getting better of the formidable Kiwis after unsuccessful journeys since winning the inaugural title in 2011.
“We defeated New Zealand 2-1 and Great Britain 1-0 in friendly matches a few days ago. But friendly matches mean nothing. It is just a warm-up session. We do respect every opponent in this tournament. They have their own strengths,” said Vikneswaran.
“This year, the SOJC is a very interesting event. All the teams are preparing for the Junior World Cup qualifiers. The teams are serious and have brought their best players. NZ are a very competitive team, just as their seniors. We are also a very serious team with strength and very meticulous in our preparation. It is the same as all the other teams,” he said.
He added that the Young Tigers would need to take control of their game and find opportunities to score. They have been playing well in recent time and Vikneswaran strongly believes in their capability.
