MALAYSIA midfielder Paulo Josue emphasised the importance of resilience and teamwork in their hard-fought 3-2 victory over Timor-Leste in a 2024 ASEAN Cup Group A match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night.
Josue admitted that Malaysia faced unexpected challenges including a strong performance and a solid defensive line from Timor-Leste, which blocked Harimau Malaya’s attempts to capitalise on opportunities in the first half.
“I think the most important thing tonight is the three points. Their team surprised us a little bit, and we struggled to manage the game effectively in the first half. We missed chances to score more goals early on, and that put us under pressure later.
“In the second half, we showed our character and how strong we are. We worked as a team and kept fighting. Thank God we got the three points. Now, we need to focus on our next game against Thailand and fight for a good result there,“ he said in the post-match press conference last night.
The 34-year-old player believes his team had the physical edge, especially as Timor-Leste struggled with fitness in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian-born player acknowledged that the lack of training time and the pressure during the match posed challenges for the performance of the younger players in yesterday’s match.
“Some of the younger players felt the pressure a bit, but that’s normal. We are here to support and guide them. They gave their best, even though this is our first time playing together with just two or three days of preparation. It’s not easy to adapt to the coach’s plan under these circumstances,“ he said.
Josue also stressed the importance of unity and focus as Malaysia prepare to face Thailand in their next Group A match.
Last night, Harimau Malaya narrowly avoided embarrassment against minnows Timor-Leste, coming from behind to secure a 3-2 victory.
Naturalized striker Paulo Josue emerged as the hero for the Harimau Malaya squad, scoring two goals in the second half to turn the tide after Timor-Leste, ranked 196th in the world, led 2-1 at halftime.
Malaysia had earlier opened the scoring through a volley by forward Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad in the 38th minute, while both of Timor-Leste’s goals were scored by Olagar Xavier and captain Joao Pedro during first-half injury time.
Malaysia will face Thailand in Bangkok in their next 2024 ASEAN Cup Group A match at Rajamangala National Stadium this Saturday.
