KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia midfielder Sergio Aguero has lashed out at M-League clubs that did not support the national team following their premature elimination from the Asean Cup.
The Argentine-born Aguero was visibly emotional after Malaysia drew 0-0 with Singapore in a Group A match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
The Causeway derby ended disastrously for Harimau Malaya who finished third in the group while the Lions joined Thailand in advancing to the Asean Cup semi-finals.
After the match, Aguero expressed his frustration at the external factors, including a lack of support from M-League clubs, which he felt had undermined Malaysia's preparations and ultimately contributed to their downfall.
Some of the clubs had refused to release their top players for the Asean Cup because it clashed with their Malaysia Cup prepations.
"I just want to thank all the players who gave their best, coach Pau (Marti Vicente) and his staff.
"Everyone gave their all. It's sad that we couldn't qualify, especially when so much was at stake," he said.
But Aguero criticised the "inconsistent" support from clubs in releasing their players for national duty.
"I have to thank Sri Pahang for allowing me to come here and represent Malaysia.
"But not every player had that support. Clubs need to reconsider their priorities. If the national team don't get the backing they deserve, then something is wrong," said Aguero.
"Pau (Vicente) is an amazing guy, and he deserved to stay longer. We wanted to progress to the semi-finals, not just for ourselves but for him. Unfortunately, this is football, and things didn't go our way."
On the draw against Singapore, Aguero said: "We created many chances, but things just didn't work out.
"From the start, everything felt wrong. There were too many external factors beyond our control, but we still gave everything for Malaysia, as we always do.
"I'm sorry to the fans that we couldn't go further."