DOHA: Despite failing to secure points in their opening two Asian Cup Group E matches, Harimau Malaya forward Paulo Josue remains optimistic about the future of Malaysian football.
The Brazilian-Malaysian served as the sole striker when Kim Pan Gon employed the 5-4-1 formation in the heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Bahrain at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday.
It was a far better performance from Malaysia compared to when they were thrashed 4-0 by Jordan on Monday.
We need to learn from our mistakes. Malaysia is competing in the Asian Cup after 17 years, and it is tough," said Josue.
"We will participate again in the future. By then, we'll have gained more experience and a deeper understanding of the tournament. Only then can we expect improvements."
When asked about who should shoulder the blame for Malaysia's imperfect campaign, the 34-year-old said it's on all of them.
This comes after Pan Gon questioned if he was the wrong coach for the national senior team after the match against Bahrain.
"No chance. We're all in this together. We lose and win together," said Josue, who has earned 11 caps and scored four goals.
"We have a great coaching staff who analyses everything. Everyone needs to take responsibility and learn from this.
"We must keep going because we'll have chances to qualify for the next Asian Cup. Allow those who come here to understand and gain more experience."