Declan Lambert: 'The match against Vietnam is for the honor of the Malaysian people'

KL City FC defender Declan Lambert believes that the match between Vietnam and Harimau Malaya carries the significance of the honor of the Malaysian people.

Malaysia has officially lost hope of qualifying for the 2026 Asian Cup finals despite previously leading Group F. The AFC's penalty of two forfeited losses caused them to drop to second place, trailing Vietnam by 6 points, so the final match against the group leader is now merely procedural.

Nevertheless, for many Malaysian players, the match against Vietnam still holds significant meaning. According to Declan Lambert, Malaysia's elimination is clearly very difficult to accept. However, the upcoming match remains crucial for the entire team to prove that they still possess the ability to compete and win against other opponents.

For him, this is not just a simple match, but also a story about the spirit and honor of Malaysians. Therefore, the whole team must still give their utmost effort, even though circumstances are not currently favorable for them.

“It is indeed very hard to accept that Malaysia has been eliminated, but this match is still very important to prove that we can still compete and defeat other teams, even without the chance to advance further.”, Lambert said.

“This is also a way to demonstrate spirit and honor as Malaysians,”he added.

Lambert also acknowledged that disappointment is unavoidable. The 27-year-old defender believes that at his current age, maintaining his position and opportunities for national team selection is not easy. Therefore, the most important thing is to always keep the body healthy, maintain peak physical condition, and continue striving to have chances to participate in future training camps.

“Certainly, it is very disappointing. Our age increasing is not an easy matter, so I must ensure that I stay healthy, energetic, and continue fighting to be called up for subsequent training camps,” Lambert said in a video shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) with the media today.

According to the schedule, the Malaysian national team, led by coach Peter Cklamovski, will face the Vietnamese national team at Thiên Trường Stadium on March 31. The match promises to remain intense because both Vietnam and Malaysia have many reasons to be determined to win the upcoming match.