by Theleaders-Online | August 20, 2019 4:43 am
KUALA LUMPUR: National Under 18 (U-18) interim head coach, Brad Maloney could not be prouder of his team despite a frustrating defeat against Australia in the final of the 2019 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U-18 Championship last night.
Malaysia, who defeated Australia 3-0 in the grouping stage last week, lost in the final by one goal after Lachlan Ricky Brook slotted home the Young Socceroos’ winning goal in the 79th minute at the Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Despite failing to retain the title after the 2018 campaign’s success, Maloney admitted it was a remarkable journey for his boys who fought hard all the way to set foot in the final stage.
“I’m very happy with my players’ performance (overall). When the draw came out and people were talking about group of death and all that…not many people gave us much chance to qualify for the final.
“So for my players to achieve that (be in the final), I think it’s a fantastic effort from the whole team,” he told reporters after the match.
Commenting on the loss, Maloney noted that having to replace injured goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman with Firdaus Imran Mohd Fadhil in the 76th minute of the game had somehow impacted the final result.
However, he praised his side for putting on an outstanding performance as well as a great fighting spirit throughout the 90 minutes.
“My players gave an outstanding commitment and that fighting spirit again was absolutely fantastic,” he added.
Bernama
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