FORGET about the Jakarta incident and just focus on beating Indonesia. A tense atmosphere is expected tomorrow when Malaysia battle arch-rivals Indonesia in a pre-World Cup Group G match at the National Stadium.
And an ugly incident on the pitch could spark fan trouble on the terraces, which the national team hope to avoid in Bukit Jalil.
Harimau Malaya coach Tan Cheng Hoe is aware that some might want revenge following the bad treatment the national players and fans received when his side edged the Garuda 3-2 in their opening qualifying match at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Sept 5.
Despite all the precautions, Malaysians fans were abused, while the national players and officials had to be taken out of the venue on four Barracudas (armoured vehicles) to their hotel after the final whistle in Jakarta.
The FA of Indonesia (PSSI) were subsequently slapped with a US$45,000 (RM189,000) sanction over the chaos by Fifa.
However, Malaysian fans are also not angels.
There have been cases of Malaysian fans abusing visiting supporters in the past.
In 2014, crowd trouble left several Vietnamese fans with injuries during an AFF Cup match at the Shah Alam Stadium and a year later, the World Cup qualifier between Harimau Malaya and Saudi Arabia was abandoned after 87 minutes when Malaysian fans launched fireworks and flares which left the visiting fans scrambling for safety, also at the same venue.
A crowd of about 80,000 is expected at the imposing Bukit Jalil venue with only 4,500 seats allocated to Indonesian fans.
Security will be tight, but things could still go haywire considering the rivalry between both teams.
Cheng Hoe reminded his men to keep their emotions in check as the last thing he wants is for the match to turn ugly.
He does not want to see ugly incidents on the pitch that would provoke fans and spark unnecessary trouble.
“I want my players to concentrate only on playing to instructions and tactics. The focus is to collect three points in this match,” said Cheng Hoe at the KLFA Stadium yesterday.
“It’s always easier to play at home than away, and we will be playing in front of 80,000 fans, which are always our 12th player.
“Our fans always give us big support. I hope they will and that we can do something, and we can beat Indonesia again.
“As for the players, I want them to get the job done instead of thinking about past incidents.
“I do not want them to get emotional. We should focus on getting a good result and outside factors should be put aside.
The Garuda will be managed by their caretaker coach Yeyen Tumena, who has taken over from Scotsman Simon McMenemy following a poor start in the qualifier.
Cheng Hoe spoke highly about Yeyen, stating that he is a good tactician.
“Indonesia arrived in KL early and also watched our recent match against Thailand.
“Yeyen has brought some new players, so their approach could be different on Tuesday (tomorrow).
“We need to give total attention and focus on our mission,” said Cheng Hoe, who has guided Malaysia to 16 wins from 29 matches since his appointment as national coach in late 2017.