Disappointed, but far from defeated. That was the overriding message from Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe during the post-match press conference following the Harimau Malaya’s gut-wrenching 2-0 defeat to Vietnam in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Semi-Final first leg.
Facing a room of reporters, Tan refused to throw his inexperienced squad under the bus. Instead, the seasoned tactician delivered a masterclass in man-management, vigorously defending his young players and issuing a bold battle cry ahead of the daunting second leg in Hanoi.
Despite falling to the defending champions, Tan was quick to highlight the grit shown by his men against a Vietnamese squad known for its lethal counter-attacks.
“I feel proud of my players. They have given their best, showed their confidence, and showed their commitment,” Tan stated firmly. “As a coach, I feel a bit disappointed with the result, but I’m proud of all of them. We knew the transition of Vietnam is really dangerous, and playing against them is a difficult task.”
The match could have looked entirely different had Malaysia capitalized on their early momentum. Tan pointed to the 34th minute, where young forward Daryl Sham missed a golden opportunity to put Malaysia ahead.
When pressed on how the miss impacted the young attacker, Tan offered pure encouragement:
“It’s a good experience for him to play in this semi-final atmosphere against a better team. I told him mistakes are part of the game. Keep playing to your ability. If he gets one more chance, I encourage him that he will score.” Tan said about on Daryl’s missed shot.
Tan noted that football at this elite level is decided by the finest of margins. “We created chances in the first half but needed to be very clinical. A lack of concentration in the last minute of the first half really cost us. You can’t make any mistakes, or the opponent will punish you.”
The Harimau Malaya’s game plan was thrown into chaos just 16 minutes in when towering centre-back Rodney Celvin was forced off with an injury. The severity of the injury is still pending medical review, but his exit threw Malaysia’s young defenders—including debutant Aysar Hadi—into the deep end.
Rather than bemoan the lack of experience, Tan heaped praise on the U-23 boys who stepped up to the plate. “Our backline had very raw experience at this international level,” Tan admitted. “But Aysar, Jimmy, and all these under-23 boys… I have to salute them, congratulate them, and support them. Overall, those four defenders really played well under immense pressure.”
Tan also credited the veteran players in the squad for stepping up as mentors, noting that their on-pitch guidance and encouragement were vital in keeping the young core composed after going down 2-0.
With a two-goal deficit to overturn, the Harimau Malaya must now travel to the hostile cauldron of the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi. For Tan Cheng Hoe, the mission is crystal clear: analyze the weaknesses, fix the final passes in the attacking third, and embrace the pressure.
“We didn’t lose the war here; we lost the battle,” Tan declared, setting the tone for the return leg. “We know it’s not easy to play in Hanoi with their home ground support and full capacity. But I want the players to enjoy this pressure and go there with their best.”
Can the Speedy Tigers pull off one of the greatest comebacks in ASEAN football history? Tan certainly believes the spark is there.
“Probably, you score one goal, and you get the confidence. I’m optimistic. We need to go there and challenge the situation!”
Malaysia will travel to Vietnam in the second leg on 19 August at My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi.
Credit Photo : Simon Yap/SNE-Photo
