PETALING JAYA: In a match billed as the "Game of Dignity" by pundits, Malaysia were unable to match a fired-up Vietnam side.
Harimau Malaya concluded their Group F AFC Asian Cup qualifiers campaign on a losing note, falling 1-3 to Vietnam at the Nam Dinh Stadium on Tuesday (March 31).
Despite the defeat, head coach Peter Cklamovski stood firmly behind his players, praising their resilience during a challenging qualifying period that saw the team penalised with a points deduction for fielding ineligible players.
"I’m super proud of the players because the situation we’ve faced over the past six months or longer is unheard of in football," said Cklamovski.
"The mentality, focus and determination the players have shown, I am truly inspired by them. It’s a special group of people and a special group of players."
Cklamovski also commended his team’s performance against a strong Vietnamese side.
"To come here and play the way we did in a tough match — credit to Vietnam, they are a very good team. Their naturalised Brazilian players (Striker Rafaelson Bezerra and Hendrio Araujo) were excellent,” he said.
"As a team, we worked hard and created moments where we could hurt them. Goals change games, and we had enough chances to turn it in our favour.
"That’s a credit to the players, their commitment and belief in themselves, in each other, and in us as a team.
"If we had taken those chances in front of the goal, it could have been a different game. But that’s football. I cannot express how proud and inspired I am of the national team players."
Bezerra, or known by his Vietnamese name Nguyen Xuan Son, scored a double in the 51st and 59th minutes, while Do Duy Munh drew first blood for the home in the seventh minute.
Malaysia’s consolation was scored by Endrick dos Santos in the 76th minute.
With the defeat, Harimau Malaya, led by Australian coach Peter Cklamovski, ended the campaign with nine points from six matches.
Two weeks ago, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ruled that Malaysia had fielded ineligible players in two fixtures, a 2-0 win over Nepal on March 25 and a 4-0 victory over Vietnam on June 10 last year.
Both results have since been overturned and recorded as 3-0 defeats.
