Malaysia's record-breaking coach Dollah Salleh may have a score to settle with his Thailand counterpart Kiatisuk Senamuang in the two-legged final of the 10th AFF Suzuki Cup this week.
Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium will host Wednesday's first leg while Saturday's second leg will be held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
51-year-old Dollah -- who was named the national coach in June -- has never been part of an ASEAN title winning squad as a player. Malaysia's only title triumph of 2010 -- when coach K. Rajagobal's team defeated Indonesia in the final -- came after Dollah had retired.
Kiatisuk, though, was an integral part of all three of Thailand's title wins in 1996, 2000 and 2002. The 41-year-old former striker -- nicknamed Zico after the Brazilian legend -- is looking to add one more to his tally, this time as coach.
"Kiatisuk said he wanted to meet Malaysia in the final after our Group B match. Now, he has got his wish," Dollah told The Star.
The odds are, however, stacked against Dollah. In the Group B game on Nov. 26 in Singapore, Malaysia lost 3-2. Malaysia's last victory in Bangkok was back in 2004 when they won 2-1 in a friendly match.
But, Dollah does not seem concerned. "I want to create history. I have broken two records during this Suzuki Cup and I want to do it again against Thailand," said Dollah, who arrived in Bangkok with the squad on Sunday.
During the course of the Suzuki Cup campaign, Dollah ended a 12-year winless streak in Singapore by winning 3-1 in the team's final Group B game. He then followed it up by beating Vietnam on their home soil for the first time since 1991 in the second leg semifinal in Hanoi on Dec. 11. Malaysia won 4-2 on the night to advance to the final with an aggregate scoreline of 5-4.
"Our players have shown that they have improved tremendously since the start of our Suzuki Cup campaign. We have learnt our lesson after our defeat to the Thais in the group. If you let them play their own brand of football, they will punish you. Our players have found their rhythm in the competition and I hope we can continue this momentum."
Dollah would probably savour a potential win against Kiatisuk's Thailand more than anyone else. In the elite ASEAN tournament in 1996, the former striker played a key role in the earlier rounds and the semifinal as Malaysia advanced to the final against Thailand. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury and could not be involved in the championship match as Malaysia lost 1-0. The winning goal was scored by Kiatisuk.
