KUALA LUMPUR – Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director Scott O’Donell expressed disappointment with the national under-23 team’s failure to meet their targets in the ongoing U23 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
Initially, FAM set a quarter-final target for Juan Torres Garrido’s squad but also hoped they could reach the semi-finals – potentially earning them a spot in this year’s Paris Olympics.
The last time Malaysia’s national football squad made it to the Olympics was in the 1980 Moscow Games.
However, the country chose to boycott the Games after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
Speaking to Scoop from Doha, O’Donell said that Harimau Muda showed too much respect for their opponents in their two opening matches. He also wanted the side to learn from their experience and perform better in future editions.
“The first game against Uzbekistan was disappointing as we showed them too much respect.
“However, there were several positives in the second game against Vietnam as we dominated possession. But we backed off a lot, which led to us being punished with a penalty and a debatable free-kick.
“The boys really stepped up against Vietnam, but they need to improve their decision-making and finish in the final third.
“Obviously, everyone is disappointed that we couldn’t qualify for the knockout stage. But once again, it goes back to what I said earlier.
“To ensure the best possible preparation for tournaments like these, we need all the boys playing regularly for their clubs in the Malaysia Super League if possible.
“I will submit a report with coach Juan to the national team’s committee and president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin. We have to learn from our experience in this tournament and try to ensure that we do better next time,” O’Donell said when contacted.
O’Donell also hopes for Harimau Muda to possibly end their final group match against Kuwait on a high note with a win.
“Everyone’s motivation for our match against Kuwait tomorrow is that we need to improve our performances and score some goals.
“We would like to finish on a high note by getting three points, and we hope to end the tournament well.
“Even though we are out of the competition, we still have everything to play for, and I’m sure the coaches and the boys feel the same.
“We had a good recovery (on Sunday), and we had a light training session (yesterday) evening, and we are ready for the game (tonight),” O’Donell added.
Harimau Muda began their U23 Asian Cup campaign with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan at the Khalifa International Stadium on April 17.
On April 20, they failed to hold their own, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat against Vietnam in their second Group D match.
Currently sitting at the bottom of Group D, Malaysia will play their final group match against Kuwait tonight.
Harimau Muda’s best achievement in the U23 Asian Cup was in 2018 when they reached the quarter-finals of the tournament held in China. – April 23, 2024