PETALING JAYA: Instead of turning to foreign-born talents to boost the national squad, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) may want to revisit their grassroots development pathways, after the national youth squad once more fell short of qualifying for next year’s Under-17 AFC Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Malaysia, led by Javier Jorda Ribera, finished second in Group C with 12 points after a 4-0 loss to Vietnam in Hanoi on Sunday. Only the group winners advance, and Vietnam sealed their ticket with an unbeaten 15-point campaign.
They join a handful of other South-East Asian teams that secured qualification, such as Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia.
It was a painful reality check for Ribera and his charges because they had been consistent throughout the Group C campaign with four straight wins before the decisive meeting with Vietnam exposed the gap between Malaysia and the regional powerhouse.
Commenting on the match, Ribera admitted that their blunt attack and inability to convert clear chances proved costly and allowed the opponents to take control.
Vietnam opened the scoring through Nguyen Manh Cuong in the fourth minute, followed by a goal from Nguyen Ngoc Anh Hao late in the first half.
They added two more after the break through Nguyen Van Duong in the 55th minute and Le Sy Bach in the 77th minute.
“Overall, Vietnam showed their best level, and we didn’t have the game on our side. We had the chance to open the score in the first action, but two minutes later they scored from a lateral free-kick.
“From that moment, all the pressure shifted to us, and we struggled against their counter-attacks. Although we kept possession, they controlled the rhythm of the match, and just before half-time they scored their second goal.
“At half-time, we made some adjustments and created another good chance, but again they punished us with a third goal. At that point, the match was slipping away, and we turned to substitutions to keep our shape.
“Sadly, we still couldn’t turn our chances into goals,” said Ribera.
