Malaysia's coach believes they can defeat the Vietnam team despite missing 7 naturalized players.

Coach Dollah Salleh has done it before, and he believes Malaysia can once again create a surprise against the Vietnam team.

In 2014, Dollah led Malaysia to a 4-2 victory away against Vietnam in the AFF Cup semifinals at My Dinh Stadium, with a squad that had no naturalized players.

The former head coach of Malaysia's national team thinks the "Malayan Tigers" still have the capability to beat the Vietnam team in Ninh Binh during the Asian Cup qualifier on March 31, despite the absence of 7 naturalized players.

Dollah assesses that the current squad, under the guidance of Coach Peter Cklamovski, is even better prepared than his team ten years ago.

"There is no reason we cannot win there. Even without 7 players, this team looks more ready than my 2014 squad. We have done it before, and we can do it again."

Dollah believes the most crucial factor is maintaining focus, not being affected by pressure, especially given the team is under immense strain after FIFA banned 7 naturalized players for 12 months, including: Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Facundo Garces.

"We don't want the players thinking 'we have no chance left, no need to try anymore.' That mentality is very dangerous.

If they stay resilient and always think 'we must win at all costs,' they can still prove to Malaysian fans that the team can play and win even without these 7 players."

The former Vice President of the Malaysian Football Association also dismisses concerns about playing before Vietnamese spectators. He says the 2014 experience showed the atmosphere wasn't as 'scary' as many think.

"From afar it seems pressured, but in reality they are very friendly. Some fans even applauded when we scored. The most important thing is to concentrate and ignore everything outside the pitch."

Dollah believes a victory at Thiên Trường Stadium would allow Malaysia to end their campaign with pride, despite recent controversies.

"If we win, we can erase some of the disappointment. It would show that despite many issues and missing players, we can still achieve good results. Nothing is impossible."