PETALING JAYA: One would have expected national football head coach Peter Cklamovski to wear a huge smile after walking away from Bukit Jalil with a thumping 4-0 win over Vietnam on Tuesday.

He did, but he was not entirely satisfied.

Cklamovski says he could still sense deep divides, which he believes will continue to hamper Malaysian football.

In what should have been a moment of celebration after Malaysia’s emphatic win in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers, Cklamovski used the spotlight to shine light on the darker realities revolving the national team.

“There are some things internal, maybe a bit of betrayal, some politics, some obstacles we are confronting on a daily basis,” said Cklamovski after the game.

“If we did not win against Vietnam, it could have turned (into an attack). They would have come after us, after TMJ (Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim), after me. Suddenly, I would have been a bad coach. They would have gone after the players, all because of a result.

“Now that we’ve won, they’re going to be our best friends. They will be next to me. That’s good, because it means we are uniting as a country.”

He did not specify who ‘they’ are but he could be referring to the critics, who are unhappy with the inclusion of many mixed heritage players.

And in many ways, Cklamovski’s sentiments reflect a larger frustration felt by those inside the national team set-up, where unity is constantly tested, and every defeat threatens to unravel what little trust has been built.

“There’s a beautiful culture in Malaysian football. I hope the performance and team mentality we’re building unites the country and stop the negative games that get played, maybe in the media or internally.

“I’m sick of negativity. I’ve said enough in other interviews. But that’s the truth.”

But on Tuesday night, Cklamovski said the victory signalled hope and passion.

“It was excellent. Thanks to all the supporters for filling up the stadium and making it special for the players, because without them, football is nothing,” he said.

“We wanted to play a game that inspired Malaysians, and we hope the result gave them something to believe in.

“I hope they saw players out there working together as a team, working hard for each other, and working hard to make Malaysians proud.”

“Hopefully, our game unifies Malaysian football, and we can grow this game.”