Laos head coach Vladica Grujic acknowledged the gap between his side and Harimau Malaya after a 4-0 defeat to Malaysia in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, pointing to the difference between Malaysia’s fully professional football structure and Laos’ amateur domestic league.
Despite the heavy scoreline, the Serbian tactician believed the match could have unfolded differently had his side converted their early opportunities before Malaysia took control.
Grujic revealed that his team had prepared a clear game plan and created two major chances during the first half, but their failure to capitalise proved costly.
“Our plan was working. In the first half we had two big chances. If we had scored, it would have been a totally different game.”
The Laos coach admitted that confidence was already fragile following the team’s opening 5-0 defeat, making it even harder for his young squad to recover after missing those opportunities.
“We lost our first game 5-0, and when you don’t score from big chances like that, the team’s confidence drops.”
He also congratulated Malaysia on their victory before quickly shifting his focus towards Laos’ next Group B fixture.
“Congratulations to the Malaysia national team on the victory. Now we move on to our next match against the Philippines.”
When asked what separated the two teams, Grujic was direct in his assessment.
According to him, Malaysia’s professional football environment provides a significant advantage over Laos, where many players still balance football with full-time jobs.
“The biggest difference is that Malaysia has a professional league. In Laos, we play in an amateur league.”
“Many of my players work and play football at the same time, while Malaysia’s players are professionals. That is the difference.”
Laos frustrated Malaysia for much of the first half, trailing only 1-0 at the interval before conceding three more goals after the break.
Grujic believes physical conditioning eventually became the deciding factor.
“Malaysia’s strength comes from having professional football players.”
“In the final 20 minutes you could clearly see the difference. We conceded two more goals because of the physical condition and running power.”
Reflecting on how his team conceded, Grujic praised Malaysia’s attacking speed and ability to exploit spaces behind the defensive line.
“They played with great speed and constantly attacked behind our defensive line.”
“That is always very dangerous and created problems for us throughout the match.”
Although Laos remain without a point after two matches, Grujic insisted his players must recover quickly and turn their attention to the next challenge.
Credit Photo : LFF
