PETALING JAYA: Harimau Muda were truly roaring in challenging conditions and got the revenge they wanted.
After losing to Laos 0-1 in the group stages, Malaysia found the perfect setting to exact revenge on them by winning the AFF Under-19 Championship final 2-0 at the Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, Indonesia on Friday (July 15).
Malaysia were off to a rough start when key winger Najmudin Akmal Kamal Akmal had to be stretchered off in the 10th minute with an injury, forcing coach Hasan Sazali Waras to make an early change by bringing in Haykal Danish Mohd Haizon.
But that did not deter the spirits of the Young Tigers as Malaysia drew first blood in the 14th minute when centreback Faiz Amer Runnizar headed the ball past Laos’ goalkeeper Phounin Xayyasone.
After that goal, it was a balanced affair between both sides, but it wasn't easy to create dangerous chances due to the poor pitch conditions affected by the rain.
In the second-half, Laos were the better side with better ball possessions and chance, but that stopped in the 75th minutes
Winger Aliff Izwan Yuslan applied the finishing blow when he finished off a superb ball from Alif Farhan Fauzi from the right in the 75th minute.
That goal punctured any hopes of a Laotian comeback as Malaysia laid pressure on their defence with lots of dangerous attempts, with Haykal being the architect of it.
Malaysia held on to their lead and lifted the AFF U-19 Championship title for the second time. The first time they won it was in 2018 when they beat Myanmar 4-3.
