JAKARTA – Malaysia’s unbeaten FIFA Asean Cup 2026 campaign, in which they scored 10 goals without conceding, has given the national team confidence to face bigger challenges ahead, said Harimau Malaya interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe.
Cheng Hoe said the team’s performance reflected not only its quality, but also the mentality, commitment and strong bond within the squad.
The 58-year-old coach said the players displayed a never-say-die attitude despite having to navigate four demanding matches in a short period.
“Of course, it is a great achievement for the team. We scored 10 goals and did not concede a goal, which is one of the best statistics.
“However, football is not always about statistics. We worked very, very hard together, and the players’ mentality played a very important part.
“Each and every one gave their best. This is the way we want to improve the team – we stick together, fight together and enjoy together. Of course, we have to continue progressing because there are bigger challenges ahead of us,” he said at a post-match press conference after the third-place playoff against Vietnam at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium here today.
Malaysia opened their Division 1 Group A campaign with a 3-0 win over Bangladesh, before drawing 0-0 with hosts Indonesia and thrashing Singapore 6-0. They then edged Vietnam 1-0 in today’s third-place playoff.
Cheng Hoe also expressed appreciation to the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, for his support and guidance to the national team, while thanking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his pre-match wishes.
Meanwhile, forward Fergus Tierney said the third-place finish was a small reward for the collective effort put in by the players and coaching staff over the past two weeks.
The 23-year-old, who scored the winning goal against Vietnam, said Malaysia had shown through their performances that they were good enough to reach the final.
“It has been a long couple of weeks. The coaching staff have all worked really hard, the players have worked really hard, and I think we got a small reward for all our efforts.
“We have controlled what we can control, and I think we can all be proud of ourselves. I hope the Malaysian people are as well,” he said.
The victory allowed Malaysia to end the tournament on a positive note after narrowly missing out on a place in the final on goals scored, despite finishing level with hosts Indonesia on points and goal difference in Division 1 Group A.
The victory also ended Malaysia’s more than decade-long winless run against Vietnam, with their last victory over the regional rivals coming in the second leg of the 2014 AFF Cup semi-finals. –BERNAMA