Malaysia suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the hands of Lebanon last Tuesday night in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers fixture.
After a solid performance in the first half and securing one goal via Mahali Jasuli, the Tigers blew their lead as Lebanon struck back in the second half with two goals by substitute Rabih Ataya.
Lebanon walked away victorious, leaving some Malaysian fans disheartened and furious. However, it was only Malaysia’s first match under newly-appointed head coach, Nelo Vingada.
A group of dissatisfied fans lashed out at the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), FAM’s president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, as well as new head coach Nelo Vingada.
Following the backlash, FAM’s secretary-general Dato’ Haji Hamidin Haji Mohd Amin has called for fans to give time and trust to FAM’s president, Tunku Ismail, and head coach Nelo Vingada.
“First of all, it’s not fair to judge Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim who had just marked his 83rd day in the FAM office as the new president. Within a short span of time, he has already made numerous changes and improvements to revolutionise FAM, but seems like it’s all forgotten.” Datuk Hamidin said in a statement.
“Tunku Ismail aside, head coach Nelo Vingada has only been working with the national team for three weeks. It’s not fair to hurl accusations after one defeat.”
“If we look back, there’s so much that Tunku Ismail has done since he entered the office, revamping the organisation, bringing in an experienced head coach, holding EXCO meetings in every state, having regular dialogue sessions with fans. He also recently gifted a new bus for the Harimau Malaya squad.”
“I’m sure there’s a lot more to come. I urge all football fans to be positive and give their full support to the current management at FAM. Let’s be patient, and together we will witness the fruits of our effort, we will see all of Tunku Ismail’s hard work paying off, and Malaysia’s football will return to its glory days.”
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