KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya interim head coach, Tan Cheng Hoe, was satisfied with the fighting spirit shown by his charges despite Malaysia suffering another 0-2 defeat to Vietnam in the second leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup semi-final at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday night (Aug. 19).
Cheng Hoe said that he appreciates the commitment shown by the players throughout the two semi-final matches against Vietnam, who fielded their best lineup as the reigning champions of the tournament.
“I am still proud of the players even though we lost in both matches. The commitment they showed makes me proud. At the same time, we know Vietnam fielded their best team and they are also the defending champions.
“I hope that after this tournament, the players – especially the young ones – can gain experience and exposure to help them improve their performance in the future,” he said via an audio recording shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Two goals from Nguyen Xuan Son in the 62nd and 89th minutes ensured Vietnam advanced to the final with a 2-0 win in the second leg, thereby eliminating Malaysia on a 4-0 aggregate after also winning 2-0 in the first match last week.
Despite the defeat, the 58-year-old coach praised his players, who he said successfully absorbed the pressure and displayed a high level of fighting spirit when facing the defending champion on home turf. – BERNAMA
