'Do not underestimate Korea': Mirnawan warns the Speedy Tigers

Former Malaysia men's hockey captain Mirnawan Nawawi has expressed confidence in the Speedy Tigers' ability to reach the Asian Games final in Aichi-Nagoya. Speaking about Brendan Carolan's team, Mirnawan highlighted their strong form and predicted a victory over South Korea in the semi-finals on Thursday. He noted that Malaysia, currently ranked 14th, had an excellent opportunity with Korea, a team often considered an underdog in the tournament.

Korea surprised many by advancing to the semi-finals after defeating world No. 16 Japan 3-2 in their group match, joining India in the last four. Defending champions India will face Pakistan in the other semi-final match. Malaysia's successful run has been led by veteran forward Faizal Saari, who leads the scoring charts with nine goals. Malaysia demonstrated a remarkable performance in the group stage, scoring 34 goals while conceding only four.

Mirnawan expressed his belief in Malaysia's potential to succeed, stating that they had no reason to underestimate Korea. He praised forwards like Faizal, Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal, and Akhimullah Anuar Esook for their strong performances, which have been instrumental in Malaysia's success. However, he cautioned against taking the opponents for granted, emphasizing that anything could happen in the semi-finals.

The Speedy Tigers will need to be wary of Korea's never-say-die attitude. National goalkeeper Zaimi Mat Deris, who had a stellar performance in the group stage, will need to remain vigilant, having conceded four goals in a match that Malaysia won 5-4 against Korea. Mirnawan also pointed out the importance of Malaysia's defense facing Korea's effective penalty corner set-pieces.

Notably, Malaysia and Korea have a history of competitive meetings, with the Koreans beating Malaysia 4-3 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh last November. Despite this, Malaysia edged Korea 2-1 in their last meeting at the Nations Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, in June. Malaysia has qualified for the Asian Games final twice before, in 2010 (Guangzhou) and 2018 (Indonesia), finishing as runners-up both times. The gold medalists will gain an automatic berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.