KUALA LUMPUR — Harimau Malaya forward Darren Lok didn’t want to give any excuses after the 2-0 defeat to Oman in the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifying game yesterday.
The Sabah FC forward acknowledged that the game was a difficult one but lamented Malaysia’s inability to create clear chances.
Darren added that Oman’s goalkeeper, Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini, did a good job of handling crosses into the box, which made it difficult for Malaysia to score.
The 33-year-old also mentioned that Oman was playing well and managed to punish Malaysia with their gameplay.
The former Johor Darul Ta’zim player did not want to blame the playing surface for the defeat either but did mention that the pitch was not in great condition, while the timing of the match was also off-putting.
“The pitch was the same for both teams; it wasn’t so bad out there, but it could have been better. The timing of the game was not great either, as we are in our off-season, but we can’t use these reasons as an excuse.
“It was not our night.
“We’re disappointed, but we need to keep our heads up and try to focus on the upcoming games in June. It will be make-or-break for us.
“We know that we need to win both our matches in June,” Darren told reporters in the mixed zone after the match.
He added that Malaysia didn’t create enough chances to score, and Oman was more clinical.
Meanwhile, Romel Morales believes that Malaysia still has a chance to qualify for the next round of qualifying.
“It is important that we continue to believe and try to find a way to play our game. We created many chances in the second half, but unfortunately, the goal didn’t come.
“We just need to keep pushing and keep working hard, and the results will come,” said the Colombia-born naturalised player.
Kyrgyzstan is tied with Oman with nine points in Group D but tops the group with a better head-to-head record.
Malaysia is in third place with six points.
Harimau Malaya’s next game will be away to Kyrgyzstan on June 6, followed by a home fixture against Chinese Taipei on June 11. — March 27, 2024