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Malaysia must intensify their efforts in every department to defeat South Korea and advance to the Asian Games final, stated Madzli Ikmar. The Malaysian national hockey team, currently ranked 14th globally, will confront world No. 19 Korea in the second semi-final match at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Thursday. South Korea, a four-time Asian Games gold medalist in 1986, 1994, 2002, and 2006, will be the team to beat. India will face arch-rivals Pakistan, the eight-time Asian Games champions, in the first semi-final.

Madzli expressed confidence in Malaysia's ability to overcome the Koreans. The team must boost their workload across all areas, as the Koreans are not to be underestimated. Their disciplined play and swift attacks can create scoring opportunities, making it essential for Malaysia to maintain a strong defensive structure to counter the Koreans' skilled forwards.

Additionally, the team must handle pressure well, a quality they demonstrated against Pakistan in the group stage, where they secured a 5-4 victory and qualified for the semi-finals.

Key players Marhan Jalil and Faizal Saari, who are participating in their fifth consecutive Asian Games, will play crucial roles. Marhan will focus on defense, while Faizal leads as the top scorer in Gifu with nine goals. Goalkeeper Zaimi Mat Deris, who showed steady progress after participating in the World Cup in Belgium, is in good form and exhibits maturity at the Asian Games.

Madzli is confident that Zaimi will perform well against Korea. The semi-final matches will be held on Thursday: India vs Pakistan at 3:30 PM and Malaysia vs South Korea at 6 PM, all times in Malaysian time.