Malaysia encountered Vietnam three times in the AFF Cup, with a 2-0 defeat in the qualifying round, followed by a 2-2 draw and a 0-1 defeat in the final, where it witnessed its rival ascend to the championship.

In the upcoming rematch, Tan Cheng Hoe hopes his squad will come out with a victory and be able to move on.

“We haven’t beaten Vietnam in three chances, but I told my players to adopt a new attitude.

We have to be positive even though we’re in the rival territory. Malaysia should be confident going in to the match.

Team spirit and solidarity are very important in this match because we expect the best in Hanoi,”

Malaysia took a convincing 6-0 win over Sri Lanka on October 5, which has helped Safawi and his teammates gain  confidence.Tan Cheng Hoe said: “We made some changes in the squad after  last year’s loss, we shook things up and we’re looking much better now”.

Malaysia is stronger and I don’t think we will leave Vietnam empty-handed,” said the 51-year-old coach.

As Malaysia arrived in Hanoi yesterday afternoon, Tan Cheng Hoe  arranged 2 training sessions ahead of the match on October 10.