logo
A Momo-rable moment against Man Utd

A Momo-rable moment against Man Utd

KUALA LUMPUR: The unheralded name of Maung Maung Lwin rings loud now in Asian football.
The man from Myanmar embarrassed Manchester United with his winner for the Asean All Stars in the Maybank Challenge Cup at Bukit Jalil on Wednesday.
Maung Lwin, known to teammates as "Momo", beat his Man Utd marker before firing a low shot in the 71st minute that hit the Red Devils' net.
"Maybe this isn't a dream," said Maung Lwin, his eyes wide and voice trembling.
"This is something rare, not just for our team, but for all of Asia. That's why I'm just so happy," added the 28-year-old winger from Yangon.
"It's the biggest goal of his career," said South Korean Kim Sang Sik, the Asean All Stars coach.
"But more than that, it symbolised what's possible. We celebrate what Asian football can be."
Apart from Maung Lwin's heroics, the hastily cobbled Asean All Stars side showed Man United what unity is all about.
Sang Sik said though the team were formed in only two days, they played like they have known each other for 20 years.
"We trained for two days. But they listened, they understood, they fought. It's unbelievable," he added.
"United are a global team. However, this match shows that Asian players like Momo can play for foreign clubs. We need to stop thinking we're second best."
When the final whistle blew, the Korean made his way to the centre circle, where his Asean players stood, arm-in-arm, sweat and disbelief clinging to their shirts.
"This is one match. Just one. But it's a reminder. A reminder that Asia belongs in the global conversation," said Sang Sik.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

2025 IFSC Asian Youth Championships to Kick off on August 20th in Guiyang, Guizhou, 211 Young Athletes to Participate
2025 IFSC Asian Youth Championships to Kick off on August 20th in Guiyang, Guizhou, 211 Young Athletes to Participate

Malay Mail

time3 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

2025 IFSC Asian Youth Championships to Kick off on August 20th in Guiyang, Guizhou, 211 Young Athletes to Participate

The Guiyang Guanshanhu Park, where the 2025 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Asian Youth Championships will be held. GUIYANG, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 August 2025 - Recently, the press conference for 2025 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Asian Youth Championships was held at Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau, announcing that the tournament will be held from August 20to 24at Guizhou Caihu International Climbing Center in Guanshanhu Park, Guiyang City. A total of 211 young Asian athletes will compete in six disciplines: men's and women's speed climbing, lead climbing, and tournament is hosted by IFSC Asia and jointly organized by the Mountaineering Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, Chinese Mountaineering Association, Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau, and Guiyang Municipal People's Government. It has two age groups, U17 and U19, and is an A-level event certified by IFSC Asia. There are 40 athletes in Chinese team to participate in this competition, including two rising stars from Guizhou: Meng Shixue, who defended the U19 women's speed gold medal at the 2025 World Youth Climbing Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and Wang Chunyouxuan, who won the U17 women's speed bronze is reported that Guanshanhu District in Guiyang City is a "National Ecological Civilization Construction Demonstration Zone". In 2024, the excellent air quality rate reached 99.5%, the forest coverage rate was 45.96%, and the per capita park green area was17.42 square meters. Multiple indicators such as surface water quality and quality of drinking water sources are 100% up to standard, presenting a green picture of harmonious coexistence between man and Guizhou Caihu International Climbing Center, where the event is held, is located in the core area of Guanshan Lake Park, known as the "Urban Green Lung". As a standard IFS-certified competition venue, the wall structure integrates the advantages of domestic and foreign course design, with the angle accuracy error controlled within 0.5°The three different climbing walls are designed not only to meet the technical requirements of speed climbing, lead climbing, and bouldering, which are featured in Olympic Games, but also to ensure training safety thanks to the scientific protection recent years, Guanshanhu District has adopted the strategy of "leveraging sports events to drive regional tourism", and has successively built 16 large-scale cultural and sports venues such as Guiyang Olympic Sports Center and Guanshanhu Ecological Sports Park. As the venue for the Asian Youth Championship, Guanshanhu District has carefully planned and upgraded its climbing facilities during the preparation process. It is worth mentioning that in the development of sport economy, Guanshanhu District is not limited to host one type of sport event, but covers various sports such as football, badminton, fencing, etc., building a colorful sports ecology. In terms of event planning, Guanshanhu District not only hosts international or Asian sports events, but also introduces preferential policies such as reducing venue rent to attract regional sports competitions to be held here and enriching venue operation to improve regional sports events for this event, the organizers have elaborately planned a series of activities deeply integrated "event+culture+consumption". During the competition, Guanshan Lake Park Ethnic Festival Square will launch a "Roadside Concert by the Climbing Wall", pooling ethnic elements such as Dong Chorus and Miao Songs with modern popular music, welcoming friends from all over the world with the romantic genes of Guiyang's "City of Music Loving ". An outdoor themed market integrating food, travel, entertainment, and shopping will be created around the competition venue, showcasing premium coffee, craft beer, exquisite dining, and original cultural and creative products, making spectators to enjoy an immersive and amazing "city tour" present, the preparation work is steadily advancing, and a "Three-Dimensional Assurance Network" covering medical care, security, reception, and transportation has been built, striving to make every participant feel the warmth of home and the enthusiasm of Guiyang. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Defiant Amorim talks up Man United's Premier League chances after Arsenal setback
Defiant Amorim talks up Man United's Premier League chances after Arsenal setback

Malay Mail

time12 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

Defiant Amorim talks up Man United's Premier League chances after Arsenal setback

MANCHESTER, Aug 18 — Manchester United lost to Arsenal in their opener on Sunday but Ruben Amorim remained full of optimism and said his rebuilt team can now beat anybody in the Premier League as the club try to put last season's woeful 15th-place finish behind them. Riccardo Calafiori headed home from an early corner to give Arsenal a 1-0 win, with a weak challenge from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir one of United's few mistakes on an afternoon that sent their fans home from Old Trafford feeling positive. 'We have players to win any game in the Premier League,' said Amorim, flashing a rare smile after the scowl he wore for most of last season. 'We were more aggressive than last year. We went one against one all the game and we pressed high. We had quality with the ball.' Close-season signings Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo injected pace and creativity into United's attack, with the ex-Wolves man, who had three shots on target, arguably the best player on the pitch. 'We did a lot things right,' Amorim said. 'We were more aggressive and brave. In certain moments I think Bryan and Cunha helped a lot. We stuck to the plan even when the stadium was nervous, we continued to play the way we played and that will help us in the future. '(The fans) want that feeling again. We go to Old Trafford and we are not going to get bored. We need to win more than last season but they want to see something and feel something.' United also looked more composed defensively than last term, but the error from their Turkish keeper begged the question about that position in Amorim's team. Arsenal's William Saliba backed into Bayindir, who feebly batted the ball with one hand into the path of Italian Calafiori for an easy close-range header. Amorim said United needed to match Arsenal's physicality on the corner. 'If you can watch the goal, I think (players) are allowed to do a lot of things in the corners. We need to do the same,' he said. 'But when you touch that way the goalkeeper, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not to push players, or he chooses to push players and let the ball past. 'But again, (it) is the rules. If he's allowed, we need to do the same thing.' Bayindir was selected ahead of usual starter Andre Onana, who has had only three training sessions after recovering from injury. Onana made mistakes himself last season but Amorim shrugged off questions about any changes in that position. — Reuters

Arsenal grind out vital 1-0 win at Old Trafford as Calafiori header sinks Manchester United
Arsenal grind out vital 1-0 win at Old Trafford as Calafiori header sinks Manchester United

Malay Mail

time13 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

Arsenal grind out vital 1-0 win at Old Trafford as Calafiori header sinks Manchester United

MANCHESTER, Aug 18 — Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday was far from a masterful performance against the better side but manager Mikel Arteta was delighted to escape from Old Trafford with all three points in their Premier League season-opener. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori took advantage of a weak challenge from Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to head home an early corner and then the London side survived an onslaught of United attacks as they dug in to secure the win. 'A big, big result coming into the first game of the season against (United) at Old Trafford,' Arteta said after facing a side fielding new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. 'When you feel that they are building something special and momentum with the new signings and they want to kick off the season in a good way and you are able to come away with the win, I'm very happy I'm part of the team.' Arteta said his side, which spent nearly 200 million pounds ($266.30 million) in the close season after three consecutive second-place finishes, did a couple of things well on Sunday. 'One, to take the set-piece and then react to especially mistakes,' he said. 'Some of them are necessary, some of them unusual. But the way every single player reacted to that gives us the opportunity to win the game. If not, it's impossible. And that's about how we compete and how much we want to take it.' While United were the better team, Arteta said Arsenal winning while not at their best was a reason for confidence. 'When you're not at your standards in certain aspects, which today we weren't, being fair, we can still come away and find a way to win the game,' he said. 'And the team has to find that resilience throughout the season for 10 months in different contexts to be able to do that. 'Of course, we have to improve a lot of things and that will happen very soon. But in terms of managing to get that into a very positive result, that's a great way to do it.' Arsenal's main close-season signing, Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, did not stand out on his Premier League debut and was substituted early in the second half. 'But overall, coming away to Manchester United, winning your first game with Arsenal, it's a good start,' Arteta said. — Reuters

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store