High flyer: Mohamadou Sumareh jumps for the ball as Darren Lok looks on during the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers against Bahrain. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Disappointment and distress were written on the faces of the Malaysian players and coach Kim Pan-gon as they rued the lapses in focus that cost them dearly in their 2-1 loss to Bahrain.
Under the gloomy sky and a pitch akin to a paddy field on Saturday night, the Harimau Malaya fought valiantly but to no avail in the Group E match of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
But not all’s over yet. Pan-gon still commended the commitment of his charges and vows to get them going against Bangladesh in their last group game tomorrow.
“This is not the end. We must keep our heads up and be proud of the progress we’ve made,’’ said the South Korean.
“We will work quickly to rectify our shortcomings and also focus on recovery. We have something to give to the passionate fans. Now’s the time for us to stay united, get stronger and move forward.”
Malaysia even drew first blood against Bahrain with Mohamadou Sumareh on target in the 54th minute.
The Bahrainis, however, drew level through Ali Abdulla Haram just two minutes later with an easy tap-in, thanks to a moment of ball-watching by the Malaysian defence.
Sad ending: Goalkeeper Farizal Marlias (right) looks dejected as he walks off the pitch with Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee after the match. — Bernama
In the 80th minute, goalkeeper Farizal Marlias clumsily brought down Ali Jaafar Madan in the box and Abdullah Yusuf Helal converted the penalty that sealed Bahrain’s win.
Pan-gon admitted Bahrain’s equaliser was due to a loss of focus in the defence but he refused to blame Farizal for his error of judgement.
“I will not single out individual performances. Our coaching team will analyse and decide what to do. The lesson learned is that in football, we must stay focused right till the final whistle.’’
Bahrain now top the group with six points, while Malaysia are second with three.
Pan-gon had earlier said that Malaysia needed seven points to be assured of qualification for next year’s Asian Cup Finals. Only the group champions and top five runners-up will qualify.
For now, it looks like Malaysia will have to wait till the final day of the qualifiers to know if they can get to the Asian Cup.
