Harimau Malaya head coach Tan Cheng Hoe admits that the early goal by Vietnam in the second leg of the AFF Suzuki 2018 Cup final between Malaysia and Vietnam last night "destroyed" all his plans for the game.
In the match, which took place at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, Malaysia missed the chance to win the most prestigious football championship in Southeast Asia region after a 0-1 loss to the home side, or 2-3 on aggregate.
Cheng Hoe, in his post-match press conference, said letting in early goals in the three encounters against Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup campaign was something which should not have happened.
"Indeed, I am aware that the three times we meet Vietnam, we let in an early goal. When it happened tonight, it affected the players' confidence.
"In the previous match we did a comeback, but this time, the players could not score and some scoring opportunities went begging," he said in reference to the first leg in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Malaysia on Dec 11, in which the Harimau Malaya scored two second-half goals to make it 2-2.
Vietnam's goal was scored by veteran striker Nguyen Anh Duc (photo) in the sixth minute, whose shot from close range could not be stopped by Malaysian goalkeeper Farizal Marlias.
The result saw Vietnam lifting the cup for the second time since 2008. Malaysia has won the cup once, in 2010.
After receiving praise from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad immediately after the match, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail congratulated the national team for the valiant run.
However, she told the national football squad to persevere.
“Vietnam played better than Malaysia, congratulations to Vietnam for clinching the championship.
"Congratulations to Harimau Malaya for succeeding to qualify for the final. Try harder next time,” she said in a Twitter posting tonight.
Meanwhile, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong described Harimau Malaya as champions in the hearts of Malaysians despite coming out as runners-up of the championship.
“Congratulations to Harimau Malaya! Despite becoming runners-up of AFF Suzuki Cup, you all are champions in our hearts," he said.
Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin praised Tan for building a strong foundation for players.
“Congratulations to Vietnam. Very tight unit. Well done to our boys. Tan has built a good foundation with the right philosophy. Right man for the job,” he said.
- Bernama