KUALA LUMPUR: Two-goal hero Paulo Josue called on Malaysian fans to rally behind Harimau Malaya, especially the younger players, following their hard-fought 3-2 victory over Timor Leste in Wednesday's Asean Cup Group A match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Despite the win, the atmosphere at the stadium was tense, with fans voicing their dissatisfaction with certain players, notably young winger Najmuddin Akmal Kamal Akmal, who was jeered at both half-time and when he was substituted in the 61st minute.
Josue assured that senior players like himself would support the younger Harimau Malaya squad members in handling the pressure and expectations from fans.
"Of course, we are here to help and guide them. I think the young players gave their best," said Josue.
"This is the first time we've played together, and we only had two or three days to prepare after the match against Cambodia.
"We didn't have enough time to train properly because recovery was crucial. Now, we travel to Thailand and play another match in just two days. It's not easy to execute everything the coach has planned, and comparisons are unfair at this stage."
Josue said he was confident Malaysia could mount a comeback against Timor Leste
The Brazil-born forward struck twice in the 70th and 83rd minutes, rescuing world No. 132 Malaysia after 196th-ranked Timor Leste had taken a shock 2-1 lead at half-time.
Olagar Xavier and Joao Pedro netted for Timor Leste in the first half of stoppage time after Syafiq Ahmad had opened the scoring for Malaysia in the 37th minute.
Josue, who has now netted six goals in 19 appearances for Malaysia, hopes the hard-fought victory will boost the team's confidence ahead of their clash against defending champions Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday.
"I was confident because the Timor Leste players were struggling physically. Four or five of them were cramping, so we kept pressing and created chances to score," said the 35-year-old KL City forward.
"I must thank my teammates for their efforts in helping me get those goals. Now, we need to rest and prepare for Thailand."