DOHA: Despite the 4-0 defeat at the hands of Jordan, coach Kim Pan Gon remains confident in his Harimau Malaya side.
The South Korean believes his team will bounce back when they face Bahrain in their second Asian Cup Group E match on Saturday.
Jordan scored through Mahmoud Al Mardi (12th and 32nd minutes) and Mousa Al Tamari (18th, 85th) in Monday's game.
Pan Gon said it was difficulty to motivate his players with Jordan's 3-0 lead at half-time.
"Everyone was having a tough time. We didn't expect this. My players were disappointed. We have never performed the way we did today in the last two years," said Pan Gon after the match in Doha.
"At half-time, I told my players they had another 45 minutes to start over and give their best. I think everyone was disappointed, but we cannot give up.
"We must motivate each other as there are two more tough matches. But I think we were better in the second half after making some changes.
However, Pan Gon anticipated the match would be tough before the Asian Cup.
"I did my research on Jordan, Bahrain, and South Korea and anticipated it would be tough matches as they have some players in Europe.
"I think it is a good lesson. We must recover from this and prepare for the next game," he added.
Commenting on his starting line-up, Pan Gon explained that the tactical decision was made to encourage the team to play more offensively rather than defensively.
"We were looking for an attacking approach tonight, but Jordan was too strong," he added.
Meanwhile, Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta said collecting three points in the first match was crucial, and he praised his players for their discipline and focus to get the job done.
"It was very important for us to start with a big win. We got into the match the right way, and it was very important that we scored the second and third (goals) and kept the rhythm.
"We gained confidence with three goals in the first half. It is a great start, and we are looking forward to the next match," said the 54-year-old Moroccan.