21 Jul Sathia happy with Under-21 team

THE National Under-21 football team returned from their 10-day training-cum-playing stint of South Africa with two draws and one loss,taking heart from an encouraging 0-0 draw against the home team’s Olympic side. The stint is part of the national team’s preparations for the 2008 Olympic Qualifiers. Coached by B. Sathianathan, Malaysia drew their first match against South African Premier League side Wits University 2-2 before playing two matches against the South Africa Olympic team. The hosts, who just returned from a three-month training stint in Europe, were held 0-0 in front of 20,000 home fans. However, the stint was blemished by a 3-0 defeat to the Olympic team in the final friendly with all the goals coming in the first half. But Sathianathan, with an eye on the Qualifiers, was generally pleased with his team’s performance.