KUALA LUMPUR – Sabah FC goalkeeper, Damien Lim, calls on local football fans to be mindful of their words before criticising Harimau Malaya players following their Pestabola Merdeka final defeat against Tajikistan on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old, who is a second-choice goalkeeper for the club, said the players put forward their best effort in the match and expects fans to provide constructive criticism rather than resorting to hurtful comments.
“Congratulations to the Malaysian football team and the players for finishing as runners-up in the Pestabola Merdeka tournament.
“Winning and losing are common in football, and as fans, we should be supportive of our team at all times, instead of randomly insulting players with slurs for their mistakes.
“Everyone makes mistakes in football, including top-tier world-class players, and we all have to understand that nobody makes their mistakes intentionally.
“We should not act as if we are better footballers compared to the ones who are playing on the pitch.
“We should learn to respect everyone and always maintain a healthy decorum,” said Lim in his social media posts yesterday.
In the wake of the Pestabola Merdeka final, Harimau Malaya center-back Dominic Tan has found himself on the receiving end of derogatory comments on his Instagram posts from disappointed fans.
Dominic, who plays as a center-back for Sabah, faced intense scrutiny after an error on his part led to Tajikistan’s victory in the tournament.
“Dominic, please don’t play for Harimau Malaya again, and I hope that you retire.
“Your game has been horrifying to watch, and you were the cause of the second goal,” one person commented.
Another fan commented, “I just realised that he’s a naturalised player… no wonder he has no passion to play for Malaysia.”
Malaysia’s hopes of winning the 42nd edition of the Pestabola Merdeka tournament came to an end after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Tajikistan on October 17 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
Tajikistan’s goals were scored by Soirov Rustam in the 43rd minute and Samiev Shahrom in the 87th minute.
Up next, Malaysia will begin its 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Kyrgyzstan on November 16 at Bukit Jalil.
Malaysia has been grouped with Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman in Group D of the qualifiers. – October 19, 2023