KUALA LUMPUR: Caretaker coach Pau Marti Vicente hailed Harimau Malaya's triumph, believing the team deserved to win the Merdeka Tournament on Sunday.
Playing at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, world No. 134 Malaysia defeated No. 116 Lebanon 1-0 in the final, thanks to Romel Morales' 33rd-minute strike.
The victory marked Harimau Malaya's first title since their 2010 AFF Cup triumph.
For Vicente, the win strengthens his case for becoming Harimau Malaya's permanent head coach.
The FA of Malaysia (FAM) will assess the national team's results and decide by December whether to offer the Spaniard the role full-time.
A jubilant Vicente described the victory as a testament to his team's dedication.
"We are very happy. We deserved to win. It was a tough game, but I think the team worked extremely hard.
"All the players gave their best, and today (Sunday) is a day for celebration.
"I feel good. I think we have a great staff and players, and there is a healthy relationship between us, which is very important," said Vicente after the final.
Morales' goal secured Malaysia's first Merdeka Tournament title since 2013, though that edition was an Under-23 competition.
Vicente, however, felt Malaysia could have added more goals in the second half, despite struggling to maintain their first-half dominance.
"We were positive in the first half. Lebanon were defensively hard to break.
"However, we controlled the game and were lucky to score.
"In the second half, we couldn't sustain the same level, but we still had chances and could have scored one or two more. The feeling might have been different then," he added.
Lebanon coach Miodrag Radulovic lamented his team's missed opportunities, admitting they were unfortunate not to equalise.
"It was a tough game, just as we expected. We were cautious for the first 15 minutes but played well afterward, especially in the second half.
"Unfortunately, we conceded in the first half. We had chances to level but couldn't capitalise on them," he said.
Buoyed by the morale-boosting victory, the national players will return to their clubs for the Super League before regrouping next month for a friendly against world No. 94 New Zealand.