After the disastrous 4-1 defeat against North Korea in the Asian Cup qualifying Group B match on Monday, Malaysia coach Nelo Vingada defended his players by stating that they were not strong enough to handle criticism from a recent defeat against North Korea.
Vingada made eight changes to his team, who suffered from the 4-1 defeat in the first-legged game, but it made no difference as Malaysia were easily handed their fourth defeat in the qualifiers.
Following the loss, the Portuguese tactician had to face harsh criticism for his decision to drop JDT players out of the squad.
“I saw how JDT players were affected by comments on social media. Although they wanted and were willing to play, I decided otherwise,” said Vingada in the post-match press conference, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
“We brought six Under-22 players here and four started. They featured in both matches and showed no fear as they played with good intensity. It augurs well for our future.”
