Cools Praises Tapp And Nooa For Malaysia's Solid Defence

From Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

JAKARTA, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia captain Dion Cools has praised centre-back partner Brad Tapp and defensive midfielder Nooa Laine after Harimau Malaya recorded back-to-back clean sheets in their opening two FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 matches.

Cools said his partnership with Tapp had quickly evolved into an effective one, with Malaysia keeping clean sheets in their 3-0 win over Bangladesh and their goalless draw with hosts Indonesia at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium here.

“Two clean sheets, do I need to say more? We did a really good job. Really impressed by him, really nice to play with him, so yeah, we can keep going like this, and hopefully it’s the same in the next game,” he told reporters.

Tapp, a 25-year-old mixed-heritage defender, is one of three new additions to the Harimau Malaya squad alongside naturalised forwards Bergson da Silva and Manuel Hidalgo.

Cools, the Cerezo Osaka FC defender, also singled out Nooa for his growing influence in shielding the national team's defensive line, saying the Finland-born midfielder had continued to mature with every national-team call-up and possessed both the quality and willingness to absorb tactical instructions.

“He's amazing! I remember when Nooa’s first time. I didn't know what to expect because he came from Finland, but every time he just keeps progressing.

“He's really easy to coach. Everything we say to him, he really takes it, and he has so much quality. I'm really happy he's in our team,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia, under interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, will face Singapore in their final Division 1 Group A match at Stadium Si Jalak Harupat in Bandung tomorrow, with the race for a place in the final still wide open.

Malaysia lead Group A with four points, level with second-placed Indonesia but ahead on goal difference, while Singapore sit third on three points and Bangladesh remain bottom without a point.

In the inaugural tournament, the group winners will advance to the final, while the runners-up will contest the third-place playoff, with both matches scheduled to be held at GBK next Monday.

-- BERNAMA