KUALA LUMPUR: Ahead of the second leg of Malaysia and Thailand's semi-finals of the Southeast regional football championship, or Suzuki Cup, Malaysia is protesting the poor quality of the training facility provided by Thailand, calling it a “paddy field.” Malaysia's football association said on Wednesday that it had lodged a complaint after Thailand provided what they termed a run-down training pitch for their Suzuki Cup match. Football Association of Malaysia General Secretary Azzuddin Ahmad said the association verbally protested at a meeting this morning with Thai FA officials and plans to file a written complaint to the Thai body and ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Malaysia's New Straits Times newspaper reported that the country's squad “arrived at the Jaran Buraparat ground in Bangkok on Tuesday to find the pitch uneven and filled with puddles of water.” Team manager Subahan Kamal was quoted angrily criticising the pitch as a “paddy field.” Broken bottles were also present on the pitch, the association reported. Malaysia fans, although disappointed after the first leg draw, hope that the squad can turn it around and reach the final to defend their title. “I think we played okay, but we should have got that last goal in the final minutes," 43-year-old Jamal Aziz told Bikyamasr.com in Kuala Lumpur as he left the national stadium. “We were right there and so close, but being the underdogs, I don't think we can complain and we should have confidence going into the next match," he added.
