By K. RAJAN

HO CHI MINH CITY: Tiger Street Football Malaysia champions Equal FC are confident of doing well in the Grand Finals here today.

The Malacca outfit reached the semi-finals of the Malaysian-leg of the regional championship before being knocked out 6-3 by Thailand’s Big 1 Sport 99. Equal FC then lost 8-7 to Street Vipers of Australia in the third-fourth placing playoff in August.

Team skipper Jamaludin Alias, still smarting from the loss on home ground, said they are better prepared for the Grand Finals.

“I think every team stand an equal chance of winning the Grand Finals,” said Jamaludin, 36.

File picture shows Sean Koh, Marketing Manager of Tiger and Edgar Davids, street football icon presenting the prize to the champion of Tiger Street Football National Finals last year. - THE STAR/Picasa

“We noticed that we are not too far behind the other foreign teams after playing in the regional rounds. I feel that we are equal to them in terms of speed and skills.

“Our weakness was our physique, so we focused more on gym work and fitness training rather than tactics and skill drills. I reckon we are better prepared this time.”

Equal FC will be up against the national champions of Vietnam, Australia, China, Singapore and Thailand.

The second edition of the Tiger Street Football offers a lucrative US$30,000 (RM91,918) bounty for the winner of the Grand Finals.

Equal FC, formerly known as Bertam Ulu FC, had represented Malaysia in the Kia Futsal tournament in South Africa in 2010 and have the necessary experience to win the grand prize.

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