After Malaysia lost to Vietnam 0-2 in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final and stopped with a total score of 0-4, coach Tan Cheng Hoe still praised the players, especially the young factors.
I am proud of my players. Although they lost in the semi-finals, they are always progressive. I know the Vietnamese team will put out the best squad. After this match, I hope the players will accumulate experience and develop further," Mr. Tan Cheng Hoe shared.
Before the question of whether Malaysia can create different results if they take advantage of opportunities and have the strongest force, the Malaysian strategist said that player quality affects competitiveness, but he still places his faith in the young generation.
As a coach, I am still proud of my young players and confident in the future of the Malaysian team. Of course, if the team has good players, the competitiveness is higher. However, I still believe in the development of young players," he said.
Coach Tan Cheng Hoe also said that he was not surprised by the adjustments of the Vietnamese team. According to him, after the first leg, the Malaysian coaching staff predicted that the opponent would rotate the squad and reserve some key players for the second half.
From the previous match, I knew that the Vietnam national team coaching staff would rotate players, let some key players rest and use them in the second half," said Mr. Tan Cheng Hoe.
Assessing the final match between Vietnam and Thailand, coach Tan Cheng Hoe said that both teams have their own advantages and are relatively balanced in terms of player quality.
With the final, these two teams have their own advantages. In terms of players, they are quite balanced. I want to send good wishes to both teams and hope both will contribute good matches," Mr. Tan Cheng Hoe shared.
After two defeats with a score of 0-2 against Vietnam in the semi-finals, Malaysia closed their journey at ASEAN Cup 2026, while coach Kim Sang-sik's team won the right to enter the final to meet Thailand.
