KUALA LUMPUR: It wasn't a knockout punch from some Middle East heavyweights; the crushing blow came from a neighbouring Asean team — Vietnam.
Vietnam, yesterday, outplayed Malaysia 2-0 in a group match in the Under-23 Asian Cup in Doha, which acts as a qualifier for the Paris Olympics Games in July.
Malaysia, who also lost 2-0 to Uzbekistan on Wednesday, will meet Kuwait in their final group match today.
Malaysia's Spanish coach Juan Garrido, in the post-match press conference, again dwelled on Malaysia's poor finishing — which he had also lamented about in the loss to Uzbekistan earlier.
"I'm proud of the players' efforts. They left everything on the pitch, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough," said Garrido.
Vietnam showed better technique and match strategies than Malaysia. They were faster too, helping themselves to a goal in each half.
It makes you wonder if Vietnam have been doing the right things in football development and Malaysia have not.
The Malaysian team went to Doha with the declared goal of qualifying for the second round of the competition. But without scoring any goal in two matches and conceding four, the Malaysian team already knew when they have to check out of their hotel.
In comparison, the Malaysian team, under Ong Kim Swee, reached the quarter-finals in the 2018 edition.
Malaysia last qualified for the Olympics in 1980. It has been forty four years since, and Harimau Malaya are still lost in the football wilderness.