KUALA LUMPUR: Lebanon coach Miodrag Radulovic got his wish to face Malaysia in the Merdeka Tournament final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sunday.
The Montenegrin tactician, currently in his second stint with Lebanon, has led "The Cedars" to victories in their only two encounters with Malaysia, both ending with identical 2-1 scores during the third round of the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The first match was played in Johor Baru on June 12, 2017 and the second one in Beirut on March 27, 2018.
Radulovic, 56, said the passionate crowd at the National Stadium would make the final an exciting spectacle.
"I love the Malaysian fans. Their support for the team is amazing, and this will be a great final with a big crowd in a fantastic stadium," said Radulovic, who previously coached Lebanon from 2015-2019.
"I respect Malaysia. We played them in the World Cup and Asia Cup qualifiers in Johor Bahru back in 2017.
"I've seen their football progress, and they have great potential. It will be a good final against them."
World No. 116 Lebanon reached the final after edging defending champions and world No. 103 Tajikistan 1-0, thanks to midfielder Jihad Ayoub's goal.
Radulovic expressed satisfaction with his players' performance, avenging their 2-1 loss to Tajikistan in the final Group A match at the Qatar Asian Cup in January, which cost them a place in the knockout stage.
"I said I wanted revenge for our loss in the Asian Cup, and we've done it by reaching the final.
" Football is about results, and we want to win the cup," said the seasoned coach.
"We are rebuilding the team, and we have no injuries. We'll rest and prepare for the final."