KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya caretaker coach Pau Marti Vicente is pleased with the performances of his newcomers in the ongoing Asean Cup.
The Spaniard said players like Jimmy Raymond and Fazrul Amir have stepped up to fill the void left by regulars.
He also praised the commitment of rising talents such as Daryl Sham and G. Pavithran, who made their senior debuts, along with forwards Fergus Tierney and Haqimi Azim Rosli, whose performances have shown significant improvement.
"I feel proud of them. As I've mentioned, it's a challenging time for all the players. We've lost several key players for this tournament, and many of our players have faced criticism for their performances.
"Every player called up deserves respect, should be given opportunities, and must receive support from the fans," said Vicente.
Malaysia are missing several regulars due to club commitments in the M-League, as the Asean Cup falls outside the FIFA window, meaning teams are not obligated to release their players.
As a result, Vicente is relying heavily on inexperienced players to carry Malaysia's hopes in this biennial tournament.
Despite the challenges, Vicente urged fans to understand the team's plight and continue supporting Harimau Malaya.
"I hope the fans will respect every player who is representing the national team. Everyone needs to understand the challenges faced by the players, the team, the FA of Malaysia (FAM), and the league.
"We are here in this tournament because we want to win and make Malaysia proud. I hope people can see that and support us."
Malaysia are third in Group A with four points, following a 2-2 draw with Cambodia, a 3-2 win over Timor Leste and a 1-0 defeat to Thailand.
Thailand and Singapore lead the group with six points each, with the former occupying the top spot.
Harimau Malaya will face Singapore in a must-win match to earn a place in the semi-finals at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.