Preview: The Blues promise a spectacle
Jose Mourinho marked his return to Chelsea with a positive result as his side edged past Singha All Star XI. However, the overall performance of both teams on the field did not live to expectations. The public on Sunday will be hoping for more excitement like Mourinho who told the press:
“I’ll get to feel the passion of the Malaysian football fans. The match is part of our preparation to face the new season of EPL (English Premier League) that kicks off on Aug 17.
“I promise that my players will give their best in the match and I hope my colleague (Rajagobal) will have the same feeling that I have.”
The Blues are set to boost their starting line-up with Demba Ba looking to recapture the goalscoring form that saw him turn into an English Premier League star during his time at Newcastle United. Eden Hazar could be the man to offer the team more options in front while ageing defender John Terry will be looking to make the most of his playing time in a bid to impress Mourinho.
Meanwhile, Malaysia XI are under no pressure to win but pride is at stake as much as the importance of picking up experience points. Coach Rajagobal explained earlier on Thursday:
“If possible, I want them to learn whatever that is beneficial from the Chelsea players to help the team’s performance in the future.”
The national team of Malaysia is scheduled to play Bahrain in less than a month in the 2015 Asia Cup qualifiers.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels
Watch Malaysia XI vs Chelsea live:
In Canada at 9:45am ET on GolTV Canada
In USA at 9:45am ET on GolTV USA
Internationally on Chelsea TV
Several channels feature in LiveSoccerTV’s compiled listings. True Sport 1, SuperSport 3 Africa and Al Jazeera Sports +7 are some of those. For full TV info, visit the match page of this Asia Tour 2013 friendly encounter.
