Winning start for Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 Dis -- Pemain kebangsaan Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim meraikan jaringannya pada aksi perlawanan persahabatan antarabangsa antara Malaysia dan Maldives di Stadium Bolasepak Kuala Lumpur, Cheras malam ini. Keputusan penuh Malaysia 3-0 Maldives. --fotoBERNAMA (2022) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia can consider themselves lucky to claim full points from their opening AFF Mitsubishi Cup Group B match against Myanmar at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon today (Dec 21).

A second half strike by forward Faisal Halim earned Malaysia a slim 1-0 win and more importantly three points in the bag ahead of tougher opposition to come.

Faisal scored the only goal of the match in the 52nd minute after slotting home the ball past Myanmar goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Phyo after receiving a pass from captain Safawi Rasid.

Myanmar were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute but Malaysian goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamad turned saviour by pushing away the attempt from Win Naing Tun.

Harimau Malaya will host Laos this Saturday in their second group match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Others teams in Group B are Vietnam and Cambodia.

In the AFF Cup last year, Malaysia failed to reach the semi-finals and it led to the resignation of coach Tan Cheng Hoe. Korean coach Kim Pang-gon took over the reins at the beginning of this year.