Malaysian Players Disbelief Indonesia’s Victory Over Bangladesh

Malaysia forward Paulo Josue admitted he was shocked by Indonesia’s emphatic 9-2 victory over Pakistan in their final FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 group-stage match, a result that ended the Harimau Malaya’s hopes of reaching the final.

Malaysia had done everything they could on their side of the equation, beating Singapore 6-0 in their final Group A fixture. However, that result ultimately proved insufficient after Indonesia produced a far bigger victory against Pakistan.

The outcome sent John Herdman’s Indonesia through to the tournament final, with the Garuda advancing ahead of Malaysia on the applicable goal-scoring criteria. Indonesia will now face Thailand in the final on October 5, 2026, at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30pm WIB.

Josue insisted that Malaysia had fulfilled their own objectives by the time their final group match ended. The Kuala Lumpur City FC striker said his team had planned to start the tournament strongly and finish the group stage on a positive note.

“I think the job was done. What we planned for this game, and even for the competition, was achieved. We expected a good start against Bangladesh and then a tough game against Indonesia,” Josue said.

Malaysia had also entered their clash with Singapore knowing they needed a substantial victory to strengthen their hopes of reaching the final. They managed to score six goals, but Indonesia’s extraordinary result against Pakistan meant even that attacking display was not enough.

“Today was a game where we needed to score goals and win, and we scored a lot of goals, but unfortunately it was not enough,” the striker added.

Josue admitted that Indonesia’s nine-goal haul was difficult to comprehend, particularly given the stage of the competition. Nevertheless, he accepted the result and urged his teammates to remain focused despite missing out on the final.

“Obviously, seeing nine goals is very difficult to believe. It is hard to imagine an opponent conceding nine goals in a tournament like this, but that is what happened. We have to keep our heads up and then focus on the next game,” Josue concluded.

Malaysia’s 6-0 victory at least ensured a strong finish to their group campaign, but Indonesia’s remarkable attacking performance ultimately proved decisive. For Josue and his teammates, attention now turns to their remaining commitments after their hopes of reaching the FIFA ASEAN Cup final were brought to an abrupt end.