Dos Santos’ Absence Makes It Tougher for Harimau Malaya

KUALA LUMPUR: The absence of midfield playmaker Endrick Dos Santos was considered one of the factors behind Harimau Malaya’s inability to produce a better performance in their 0-2 defeat to Thailand in the 2026 ASEAN Cup match at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok last night.

Tan Cheng Hoe’s side was without the services of Dos Santos after the 31-year-old naturalised player sustained an injury while helping Harimau Malaya thrash Laos 4-0 in their second Group B match at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium last Tuesday.

Thailand head coach Anthony Hudson admitted that Dos Santos’ absence gave his team an advantage, while also praising the performance of another Harimau Malaya naturalised player, Sergio Aguero.

“Malaysia are a very dangerous team. When Endrick Dos Santos was unavailable, it was clear that they were missing a very important player.

“However, they still have very fast and dynamic wingers. I also like their striker, Sergio Aguero, who played well.

“Their coach has done a very good job with the team, and they started this tournament strongly. They are a difficult opponent,” he said during the post-match press conference.

Thailand, who have played only two matches, now lead the Group B standings, level on six points with second-placed Malaysia. The War Elephants will face the Philippines away from home next Tuesday.

Berita Harian