Malaysia U17 Coach: 'There is a significant gap between us and Vietnam'

After the 0-3 loss to Vietnam U17 in the final of the 2026 Southeast Asia U17 Championship at Gelora Delta Stadium (Indonesia), coach Shukor Adan admitted that the Malaysian youth squad must restart to enhance results, targeting the long-term objective of reaching the 2027 U17 Asian Cup qualifiers.

In this year's tournament, Malaysia primarily utilized a U16 squad, one year younger than their opponents. This partly reflects the disparity as they have lost twice to Vietnam U17, including a 0-4 defeat in the group stage and a 0-3 loss in the final.

Speaking after the match, Shukor stated: "We still have five months before the Asian Cup qualifiers begin. Although five months may seem long, I feel this period is quite short for preparation, and we will strive to ensure the U16 players are ready for the tournament."

He also affirmed that he will work with the Director of Malaysia's National Football Development Program (NFDP), Ong Kim Swee, to formulate a plan for the team in the upcoming phase: "Before the qualifiers, I will sit down with the management, especially with Kim Swee, to plan and guide the U16 team over the next five months, ahead of the tournament in November."

Additionally, this coach emphasized the importance of international exposure: "What we see now is that we need more international matches so the players can adapt to a higher level of competition." "The AFC qualifiers are different from the AFF. We will await the group draw results and then plan for friendly matches and training camps."

Regarding the defeat against Vietnam U17, Shukor admitted: "In reality, not many people had high expectations for this young squad because we only used a U16 lineup," "In the final, we knew Vietnam is a very energetic and balanced team in both technique and physicality. This is because they are preparing for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia."

He also pointed out the difference between the two teams: "Clearly, there is a substantial gap between us and Vietnam, despite being just one year apart. In terms of experience, the Vietnamese players are more composed than our players."

After two losses to the same opponent, the Malaysian coaching staff will conduct a comprehensive analysis for improvement: "After two defeats against Vietnam, the coaching staff will perform a detailed analysis both individually and collectively. Subsequently, we will improve the identified weaknesses, particularly in physical fitness."

Despite not winning the championship, Shukor still valued the tournament's significance for the young players: "For me, this tournament was very meaningful for the under-16 players as they gained international-level experience."

He further emphasized: "Now they understand that on the international stage there are difficult challenges as well as challenges that can be overcome." "But the most important thing for young players is accumulating experience when facing strong teams, even within Southeast Asia. In the Asian Cup qualifiers, we will have to face even stronger teams."