Simply indefensible
Centrebacks Shahrul and Aidil apologise to fans after Cup final loss
HANOI: We are sorry.
Malaysian centrebacks Shahrul Mohd Saad and Mohamad Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak apologised to the Malaysian fans after the team went down 1-0 to Vietnam in the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup final.
“I would like to apologise to the fans. We will learn from this defeat,” said Shahrul after Saturday’s loss.
“We apologise to them because we couldn’t bring the trophy home,” said Aidil Zafuan.
“I would like to thank the fans who came from far and sacrificed their time for the team.”
Aidil Zafuan said nobody fancied Malaysia to reach the final but they defied the odds and showed they could match the top sides like Thailand and Vietnam.
“We did our best and gave everything we got. Who would have thought that Malaysia, who are not the favourites, could qualify for the final?
“Luck was not on our side. Conceding an early goal made it tough for us. In a final, anything can happen. We kept the belief but to no avail.”
Shahrul said there is hope for the future as many of the players in the squad are young and there are promising youngsters in line to be part of the national squad.
“Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow. The goal was offside but we can’t use that as an excuse. We fought but it was not enough.
“The future is bright and the team have what it takes to do well in the future,” he said.
For goalkeeper Farizal Marlias, the defeat is not the end and he would continue playing for the national team.
“As long as the coach trusts me, I’ll continue playing for the country. It’s an honour and I will play on until my body says stop,” the 32-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim custodian said.
The former Selangor and Perak player was one of the standouts for Malaysia in the AFF Suzuki Cup thanks to his assured goalkeeping and pinpoint distribution.
“We are disappointed because the players gave their best. Even in the cold weather and in front of the fervent crowd, the players were really committed,” he said.