osmera omaro (left) shaking hands with Yemen coach
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s run in the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup in Thailand has ended but coach Osmera Omaro is determined to guide his players in their development as they prepare to take the next step in their budding careers.
A brace by Dainei Mat Disa saw Malaysia come from behind to edge Laos 2-1 in their final Group A tie at the Thammasat Stadium on Wednesday as they finished third on three points in Group A.
Malaysia were already eliminated from the tournament after defeats by Thailand (0-3) and Yemen (0-4).
Osmera, however, was expecting more from his squad in the tournament.
“We played poorly in the first two matches but we showed some improvement against Laos. It was mostly down to the pressure we faced and once the pressure was off, you can see we played with much more freedom,” said Osmera.
“We came here to play good football. What we needed was a bit of confidence to up the tempo and once we had that, it was easy for us to get the result we wanted.’’
With their campaign over, Osmera said the focus now would be on the continued development of his charges.
“The development of the players is our main concern after our poor run in the tournament. We do see some talent and potential in our players. The boys are going to end their years in the academy. My time with them is already limited as they will be playing for professional clubs next year. We are a much better team than what we displayed in the first two games.”
Thailand and Yemen advanced to the quarter-finals after finishing first and second respectively in Group A.
