KUALA LUMPUR: Former FA of Malaysia (FAM) president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim lashed out at supporters who questioned the performance of Harimau Malaya during last week's 4-3 win over Kyrgyzstan in a World Cup qualifying Group D match at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil.
After the match, a few fans posted on social media that the national players could have performed better.
Tunku Ismail, the owner of Super League side Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), said everyone should be grateful for Malaysia's crucial win.
He urged supporters not to discourage players who have made sacrifices to represent the national team.
"Be grateful for the win. Pointing fingers here and there will only bring down the spirits of the national players. The players have given their all," said Tunku Ismail.
"Do you aspire to be a coach in this football industry? Have you achieved anything? Just support the national team, and it's better to keep quiet."
Tunku Ismail's comments are in response to a post by a fan page, ekorharimaumalaya, on Instagram last Saturday.
The post was made in reaction to another fan page's comparison of the performances of Brendan Gan and Endrick dos Santos, asserting that the former is no longer relevant to the national team.
Despite a 3-1 deficit, Malaysia staged a gallant comeback to defeat world No. 97 Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.
Kim Pan Gon's side will face Taiwan in their second qualifier in Taipei tomorrow.