"I have failed!" Those were the words of confession uttered by chief coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee after Harimau Malaysia lost 0-1 to host Myanmar last night.
The defeat in the last group B match at Thuwunna Stadium on Saturday night has resulted in the national squad's failure to qualify for the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals.
This also means Kim Swee has failed to achieve the key performance index (KPI) set by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on him, to guide the team to win the AFF Suzuki Cup.
"This is a failure because I have been given the responsibility to win this game, I have to look back at every mistake done and try to fix it," he said.
READ: Myanmar beat M'sia 1-0 to enter AFF Cup semi-finals
READ: Malaysia will "roar" for victory against Myanmar - Kim Swee
Malaysia beat Cambodia 3-2 in the opening group match on Nov 20 before losing 0-1 to Group B winners Vietnam in the second group match, three days later.
In the match against Myanmar, a draw does not guarantee the advance of Malaysia to the semi-finals, as only a victory over the host will do so.
However, the mission failed to be realised by the players when David Htan managed to squeeze a shot pass Khairul Fahmi Che Mat in the 88th minute.
READ: AFF Suzuki Cup: Ong Kim Swee prepared to take responsibility
READ: Sathianathan advises Kim Swee to take a break after AFF Cup exit
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi apologised to the fans for their failure to complete the initial mission to reach the semis.
"I am quite disappointed with the result. We have tried our best in this match but I finally conceded in the final minutes.
"I apologise for not being able to bring Malaysia to the semi-finals," he said.
On the same note, national striker Safee Sali admitted he was disappointed for his failure to help his team beat Myanmar after almost securing a goal when he was brought in.
Astro Arena
Sun Nov 27 2016
The defeat to Myanmar means Kim Swee has failed to achieve the key performance index (KPI) set by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on him, to guide the team to win the AFF Suzuki Cup. - Filepic
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