POOR finishing continues to be the Achilles' heel of the national Under-23 squad after firing blanks against Kenya in Shah Alam on Wednesday.
The strikers have become a worry for national coach K. Rajagobal, having failed to find the back of the net in their last four matches against international opposition.
Excluding the 3-1 win over Kedah last Saturday, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha was the last Under-23 striker to score in the 4-0 win over Zimbabwe's Monomotapa United on July 12.
The second win over the Zimbabweans two days later came courtesy of senior defender V. Thirumurugan's solitary strike while Amri Yahyah, a senior squad attacker, bagged both goals against English Premier League champions Manchester United in a 3-2 defeat on July 18.
Malaysia failed to score in the second United match and after another listless performance by strikers Norshahrul and Zaquan Adha Radzak against Kenya, national coach K. Rajagobal is looking for an improvement against China tomorrow.
"Going department by department, there are so many areas where a lot of things need to be done.
"The finishing was not sharp and we lacked the killer instinct. We had the opportunity to score in the second half but didn't take our chances and Norshahrul also had a good chance in the first half but he hesitated," said Rajagobal after the 0-0 draw at the Shah Alam Stadium.
Rajagobal however was full of praise for the back-four of Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Muslim Ahmad, Azmi Muslim and Mahali Jasuli.
"I was expecting a tough match and Kenya were strong and physical. The match started at a high pace and intensity but we moved the ball around comfortably and I have to give credit to my players, especially the defence.
"For a young team we were well organised, it was a spirited display and we showed strong character. I'm happy with the draw," said Rajagobal, who is using the series of matches to prepare the side for the Laos Sea Games in December.
The coach ruled out any significant addition to his squad for the China friendly in Shah Alam tomorrow even after Norshahrul hobbled off with a suspected ankle injury.
"We only have a few days to prepare for China and most of the (state and club) teams have only just resumed training so there is no point in calling up anyone."
Farderin Kadir, Ahmad Shakir Ali and Ahmad Fakri Saarani are the other strikers in the squad.
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