KUALA LUMPUR: It never rains but it pours.
That was probably best to describe the current state of the national Under 23 (U-23) football squad.
Not only did Malaysia’s Young Tigers return home empty-handed from the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, last month, but they also failed to roar in the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Brad Maloney’s side were sent home packing early after they were knocked out from the group stage which left them at the bottom of Group C without any points.
Speaking at a post-match press conference after the team lost 0-2 to Vietnam last night, Maloney admitted that it was a tough six weeks for his charges to participate in the both SEA Games and the U-23 Asian Cup in such a short period of time.
Nevertheless, the Australian-born coach believed that the experience that they gained in Uzbekistan would come in handy for 15 players in the current squad to prepare themselves to play in the next edition of the tournament.
Commenting on the match, he said the penalty and the red card incident involving Muhammad Hairiey Hakim Mamat at the stroke of the halftime had indeed changed the complexion of the game.
“Yes, of course it was very disappointing not to get anything out of the game. lt was very tough for our players but all credit to Vietnam,” he said.
In the meantime, the 50-year-old coach said that he did not know what was the reasoning behind Muhammad Hairiey’s sent off and refused to comment further on the incident.
Maloney also added that he was not surprised at all by a strong performance from the ‘Golden Star Warriors’, as they needed a win to secure the quarter-finals spot.
Malaysia kicked off the campaign in Tashkent with a heavy defeat to the eventual Group C champion, South Korea, 1-4, on June 2, followed by another loss to Thailand, 0-3 last Sunday.
The result meant the young national team failed to repeat the 2018 edition’s success by qualifying for the quarterfinals in China, where they lost 1-2 to South Korea. - Bernama