Two goals apiece from Mohamed Omar and Ismael Matar in the Group D encounter at Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Cheras ensured the Gulf Nation got their 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign off to a fine start.

Following their disappointing exit in the group stage of the Gulf Cup, the Frenchman would have settled for any form of victory in Kuala Lumpur.

"I was prepared for only a one goal victory. I really did not expect such a big win," he said.

"The win proved that the players are back in the right frame of mind after the disappointment at the Gulf Cup.

"They did a good job tonight and they were fully committed to winning this match against Malaysia. It can only bode well for our upcoming matches."

Meanwhile, Bethanay’s Malaysian counterpart B. Sathianathan launched a scathing attack on the state of the domestic game in the country in wake of the Tigers’ mauling by the UAE.

A seething Sathianathan felt his side was unable to compete as the poor standard of the Malaysian league meant they were out of their depth when coming up against the region’s more powerful sides, underlining that he stood by his comments and would take the consequences if they proved unpalatable to the country’s footballing authorities.

"I have to be honest about it but the M-League is not football. And if I have to go because of [saying] it then I have to go," he said.

"It is obvious that five or six days preparation is not enough when you can see that the players were not fully fit and they struggled in the second-half.

"I have no problem with the players’ commitment but fitness is an issue. When only three players passed the fitness test we conducted before the match against the UAE, what does it say about the standard of the M-League?"