Disappointing: National player Declan Lambert sits alone on the pitch after the match. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s outgoing head coach Pau Marti Vicente believes his team deserved a better result after failing to reach the semi-finals of the AFF Cup following a goalless draw against Singapore in their final Group A match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
The 41-year-old Spaniard admitted it was a disappointing way to end the campaign, which saw the Harimau Malaya finish third in the group behind leaders Thailand and Singapore.
“It’s difficult to express (feelings). Of course, I’m sad to finish like this. I believe we deserved more tonight, and in terms of the game, we couldn’t have done much more to secure a win,” said Vicente.
“At the same time, I am grateful for the support from the people, who have shown respect for the players’ efforts over the last two weeks. Even in tough situations we could stay together and with the supporters in Bukit Jalil, I think this is a positive for Malaysian football.”
The disappointment in Malaysia marked Vicente’s final match with the national team since his appointment in January 2022, after he announced he would leave the team as soon as the AFF Cup campaign concluded.
Vicente, who was also part of the team that made history by qualifying for the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar earlier this year, was appointed as interim coach following the sudden resignation of former head coach Kim Pan-gon in July.
During his short tenure as interim head coach, Vicente led Malaysia to win the 2024 Merdeka Tournament here in September.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s head coach Tsutomu Ogura said although his squad managed to advance to the semi-finals, they did not perform particularly well.
However, he expressed pride in his team’s defensive line, which prevented Malaysia from scoring any goals.
“I’m very proud of the defenders. Today is like a good result for Singapore football history. I told the players that maybe we are changing history,” he said.
In another final Group A match, Thailand defeated Cambodia 3-2 in Bangkok to confirm their status as group champions with 12 points, followed by Singapore (7), Malaysia (5), Cambodia (4), and Timor Leste at the bottom with no points.
Thailand will face the runners-up of Group B in the semi-finals, while Singapore will take on the group champions.
Malaysia, the 2010 champions, reached the semi-finals in the previous edition. — Bernama
