KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia head coach Pau Marti Vicente said his team's Asean Cup campaign is not over yet despite the 1-0 loss to Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday.
The Spaniard believes that Harimau Malaya can still reach the semi-finals.
Vicente has urged Malaysian fans to rally behind their team in the last Group A match against Singapore in Bukit Jalil on Dec 20.
"We are still in this tournament. We have one more game, and the chances are open.
"I hope the fans will come to Bukit Jalil to support us in our next game. We want to win for Malaysia, and with the crowd behind us, we can make it happen," said Vicente.
Although Malaysia suffered their first defeat in the group stage, Vicente expressed pride in his team's performance, particularly their resilience against a strong Thailand in a hostile atmosphere. Malaysia drew 2-2 with Cambodia in their opening match and beat Timor Leste next.
Thailand lead Group A with six points, followed by Singapore, also with six points. Malaysia are third with four points while Cambodia have one point. Timor Leste lost all their three games.
"I'm proud of our players and how we played against Thailand. We deserved much more than what we got.
"It's been a tough week, but we showed that this team still have a lot to offer in this tournament," said Vicente.
Thailand won the match following a blunder by Haziq Nadzli, but Vicente praised the goalkeeper for a good game overall.
"Haziq had an amazing game overall, and no one is more disappointed than him about that mistake. He's human, and mistakes happen in this difficult sport. We need to support him, cheer him up, and move forward as a team," said Vicente.
He commended the team for their determination and urged fans to show more respect to them.
"Every player who wears the Malaysia jersey deserves respect. We are representing the nation in the Asean Cup, and I hope people understand and support us during this important tournament," said Vicente.
A win against Singapore will give Harimau Malaya a good chance of advancing to the semi-finals, and Vicente believes that his team can do it.
"If we play like we did against Thailand, we can achieve our goal," said Vicente.