Malaysia thrash Brunei 7-1 to revive AFF U-23 semi-final hopes
The strategy by head coach Nafuzi Zain, who made five changes from the starting line-up that lost to the Philippines in the opening match recently, saw the national squad deliver a dominant performance throughout the match.
Malaysia opened the scoring as early as the third minute through Muhammad Danish Syamer Tajuddin, before a defensive error by Brunei saw the ball deflected into their own net a minute later, giving Malaysia a 2-0 advantage.
Mohammad Haykal Danish Mohd Haizon found the back of the net in the 32nd minute, followed by a strike from Muhammad Haqimi Azim Rosli eight minutes later to give Malaysia a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime.
Danish Hakimi Sahaludin then netted the fifth goal in the 69th minute following sustained pressure that forced a defensive blunder.
Brunei earned a consolation goal through Muhammad Haziq Naqiuddin Syamra in the 74th minute, but Malaysia swiftly launched a counter-attack and struck again just two minutes later, with Fergus Tierney scoring the sixth goal for the country.
Muhammad Haqimi Azim Rosli added Malaysia's seventh goal in the 89th minute, sealing a resounding victory for the national side.
The three points not only boosted the spirit of the young squad but also kept their hopes of making it to the semi-finals alive ahead of their final Group A match against Indonesia on July 21 at 8 pm local time (9 pm Malaysian time) - BERNAMA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Karen-Ai Xin make table tennis history with WTT title in Laos
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian table tennis made history in Laos as Karen Lyne and Tee Ai Xin delivered an early Merdeka gift by winning the women's doubles crown at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Feeder Vientiane. The Malaysian pair stunned Taiwan's Wu Ying Shuan-Wu Jia En 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-2 in the final on Friday to become the first Malaysians ever to capture a World Tour title. It was sweet redemption after April's near-miss in Slovenia, when Karen-Ai Xin reached their maiden World Tour final at the Feeder Otocec 1, only to fall short against Japan's Hitomi Sato-Saki Shibata after seeing off Germany's Sophia Klee-Franziska Schreiner in the semis. In Vientiane, the Malaysians started strongly, brushing aside home pair Bounleut Keomany-Chanthida Nomichith 11-1, 11-1, 11-2 in the opening round. They then swept past compatriots Ho Ying-Lim Jing Shuen 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 before storming into the final with a dominant 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 victory over South Korea's Lee Dae Un-Lee Seo Jin. The win continues their remarkable rise after last November's milestone triumph in Bangkok, when they became the first Malaysians to win the women's doubles title at the SEA Championships, beating Vietnam's Tran Mai Ngoc-Nguyen Thi Nga 11-7, 11-9, 11-5. Karen nearly added another trophy in Vientiane, but her mixed doubles campaign with Choong Javen ended in the final with 11-8, 12-10, 11-6 loss to Taiwan's Hung Jing Kai-Wu Ying Shuan "History made for Team Malaysia," the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia declared on Facebook. "This historic achievement would not have been possible without the tireless dedication, guidance and hard work of our coaches. Your commitment behind the scenes has been the backbone of this success." National coach Beh Lee Wei hailed the breakthrough as a timely boost ahead of December's SEA Games in Thailand, where Malaysia will be chasing its first table tennis gold since Phua Bee Sim and Chong Choi Ting won the women's doubles at Manila 1991.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Penalty heartbreak for Kuching as Brunei seize first leg advantage in FA Cup tie
JDT's Bergson Gustavo Silveia Da Silva (third from left) taking a shot against UM-Damansara in their FA Cup tie on Saturday (Aig 16). - Photo: Bernama PETALING JAYA: A missed late penalty proved costly for Kuching City as Brunei held on for a dramatic 3-2 win in their FA Cup round-of-16 first leg match at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Saturday (Aug 16). The hosts made a dream start when Indonesian forward Ramadhan Sananta slid a defence-splitting pass for skipper Azwan Ali Rahman, who coolly slotted past goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli in the fifth minute. That early strike jolted Kuching into life, and they gradually took control of the contest. Their pressure finally paid off in the 42nd minute when Timor Leste winger Joao Pedro burst down the right and squared for Cameroonian striker Ronald Ngah, who tapped in the equaliser. Two minutes into the second half, Kuching went ahead through Nigerian defender James Okwuosa, who capitalised on a defensive lapse to score from close range. But the advantage lasted less than a minute. Brunei hit back instantly as Portuguese winger Miguel Oliveira collected a long ball from Nazirrudin Haji Ismail, weaved past two defenders and slotted home to make it 2-2. The hosts regained the lead in the 78th minute when substitute Australian striker Jordan Murray punished Okwuosa's slip with a composed finish. Kuching were handed a lifeline almost immediately when Fairuz Zakaria fouled Alif Hassan in the box. After a lengthy six-minute VAR review, a penalty was awarded — but substitute Gabriel Nistelrooy saw his effort brilliantly saved by Brunei's North Macedonian goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski. The crucial stop ensured Brunei take a slender one-goal advantage into the second leg. Meanwhile, in Iskandar Puteri, defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) flexed their muscles with a 5-0 rout of UM-Damansara at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium. Argentinian wingback Jonathan Silva struck twice in the 44th and 54th minutes, before Spanish forward Teto Martin (78th), national striker Joao Figueiredo (90th), and Spanish winger Celso Bermejo (91st) completed the emphatic win.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Jan Jireh to face Eogene in all-Malaysian final in Ipoh
KUALA LUMPUR: Independent shuttler Lee Jan Jireh pulled off a major upset to set up an all-Malaysian men's singles final at the Malaysia International Challenge in Ipoh on Saturday. The world No. 354, who was dropped from the national team in October, stunned India's eighth seed Mithun Manjunath, ranked 130th, 18-16, 15-3 at the Perak Badminton Arena. Jan Jireh's triumph earned him a showdown with compatriot Eogene Ewe in Sunday's title decider. World No. 80 Eogene booked his place in the final after edging compatriot and world No. 182 Chua Kim Sheng 15-10, 11-15, 15-5. Eogene holds a 2-0 head-to-head record over Jan Jireh. This will be Eogene's second final of the year, after he lifted the Slovenia Open crown in May. Malaysia will also be represented in the mixed doubles final, after Tan Zhi Yang-Nicole Tan shocked compatriots and world No. 493 Datu Anif Isaac Datu Asrah-Dania Sofea Zaidi 15-12, 10-15, 16-14 in a 52-minute thriller. The world No. 359 Malaysians will face Indonesia's world No. 789 Kenzie Yoe-Luna Saffana, who advanced after Low Han Chen-Vannee Gobi retired. In the men's doubles, Faiq Haziq Masawi-Lok Hong Quan prevailed in an all-Malaysian battle against Beh Chun Men-Choi Jian Sheng. World No. 118 Faiq-Hong Quan overcame world No. 212 Chun Men-Jian Sheng 15-9, 15-11. They will take on Japan's world No. 84 Keiichiro Matsui-Katsuki Tamate in the final. The Japanese pair defeated Malaysia's Nurfirdaus Azman-Shaqeem Eiman Shahyar 17-15, 15-8. However, there was disappointment in the women's doubles as Chong Jie Yu-Vanessa Ng bowed out in the semi-finals, falling 10-15, 15-8, 15-8 to South Korea's Jeon Jui-Kim Ha Na.
