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HANOI – The cold and windy weather that can reach up to 16°C at night is among the challenges to be dealt with by the Harimau Malaya when they meet Vietnam in their third Group B fixture of the 2022 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup here on Tuesday.
This is because the players are not used to performing in such temperatures, as they often train and play in moderate temperatures between 25 and 26°C in the Malaysian League competition.
The issue was also evident when the national team struggled in the scorching hot weather against Myanmar in Yangon on Wednesday before edging out a 1-0 victory in the first Group B fixture.
The national team have faced Vietnam in such cold weather conditions in the same month here, namely during the second leg of the final of the 2018 AFF Cup, which saw the “Golden Star Warriors” squad win 1-0, emerging champions with an aggregate result of 3-2.
Malaysia kicked off their 2022 AFF Cup campaign with two victories, with the second one seeing them trounce Laos 5-0 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Malaysia lead Group B with six points, while Vietnam and Singapore – who have only played once – sit in second and third with three points each. Myanmar and Laos have yet to earn a point. – Bernama, December 25, 2022