Pau Marti Vicente
PETALING JAYA: Lay off my players and show some respect.
That was the call made by interim national coach Pau Marti Vicente after people criticised some of the Malaysian players for their inconsistent performances in the AFF Cup.
The latest was goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli, whose goalkeeping error cost Malaysia a 0-1 defeat to Thailand in their third Group A match at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday.
The mistake dampened the hopes of Malaysia of getting at least a point when his loose pass was intercepted by Thai striker Suphanat Muenta. Suphanat then sent the pass across which was finished off by fellow striker Patrik Gustavsson in the 57th minute.
Despite the narrow defeat. Malaysia produced a much better performance compared to their 3-2 win against Timor Leste in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with players like midfielders Endrick dos Santos and Sergio Aguero impressed against the War Elephants.
Vicente defended Haziq.
“Goalkeeper’s mistakes always get punished. In those positions, sometimes you cannot get away. But Haziq played an amazing game overall.
“Nobody is more disappointed than him because I am sure he did not want to make such a mistake,” said Vicente.
Skilful: Sergio Aguero in action during the AFF Cup match against Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. — FAM
“We cannot blame anyone for the result. It’s a tough game. There will be amazing moments, there will be mistakes too. It is part of the game.
“We will support him and ensure he does not get too upset because we have another game to play.”
And he went on to add that people should be showing respect to the players who have answered the national call for this tournament.
“I am proud of the team, and the way they have carried themselves in this tournament. These past few days have been tough for everybody,” said Vicente.
“Our players have been receiving criticism for their performances. Look, the players donning the jersey deserve respect, deserve the chance and deserve support.”
Vicente said his charges did much better against Thailand than in their previous game against Timor Leste.
“We showed that we were not afraid to take on the big players, big stadiums, with the fans against us. We showed we could match the Thais when it comes to attack and defence.
“We won against Timor Leste, but the feeling was bad. Of course, we cannot be happy with a defeat against Thailand, but we can still be proud of ourselves.
“We are still in this tournament. We have one more game, and the chance to get to the semi-finals is still open.
Malaysia will complete their Group A campaign by taking on Singapore at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
“If we play against Singapore like we played against Thailand, we are close to winning the game,” said Vicente.
