Myanmar national football team captain Maung Maung Lwin said that they will follow the tactics given by the head coach during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Japan to be played at Panasonic Stadium Suita in Osaka, Japan on 16 November.
The pre-match press conference for the match was held yesterday at the Panasonic Stadium, joined by Myanmar team captain Maung Maung Lwin and head coach Michael Feichtenbenir.
“We are the underdog as we will face against bigger teams: Japan, North Korea and Syria. This will also give us the ability to create opportunities. In tomorrow’s match (which is today), we must try to keep the scoreless in the early minutes of the first half as much as possible.
‘‘The home match against North Korea is an important match for us to get a good result. It is more natural to aim for the Asian Cup than to succeed in the World Cup qualifiers. There is a lot of hope for small teams to qualify for the World Cup, but for us, this is not yet a reality. We will try to focus on tomorrow’s game,” said Myanmar head coach Michael Feichtenbenir.
Next, team captain Maung Maung Lwin also revealed his expression.
“The Japanese team is strong and good, and the team includes famous players that we support ourselves. We will follow the instructions of the coach and try to get good results. We will play with respect for the opponent and the fans.
“Two years ago we lost to Japan (10-0) here, but the situation back then was different from the current situation. At that time, we did not play league games and faced Japan without any competition.
“Right now, Myanmar players are playing in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia leagues as well as the Myanmar National League. Player performance is better than ever. I believe that my teammates will be able to show their performance tomorrow,” said team captain Maung Maung Lwin. — Htun Htun/KZL