PETALING JAYA: Fourteen-year-old forward Lim You stole the spotlight with seven goals as the Malayan Tigress Under-17s thrashed Saudi Arabia 9-0 in their final Group A match at the Srikandi Merdeka Cup in Kudus, Indonesia, on Wednesday (Aug 19).
Standing at 165cm, Lim You scored from a freekick outside the penalty area, and videos of her goals later attracted attention on social media.
She found the net in the eighth, 22nd, 27th, 57th, 75th minutes from the penalty spot, and the 83rd and 85th minutes, while Putri Mia Alysa Ahmad Zakiyamani and Ku Nur Qaleysha Qaisara Ku Zainon completed the rout with goals in the 45th+5 and 90th+2 minutes, respectively.
Malaysia, coached by Fairuz Montana Zainal Abidin, continued to dominate despite being reduced to 10 players after Dishanna Pillay was shown a red card in the 21st minute.
The victory saw Malaysia finish as Group A runners-up on four points, level with Hong Kong but advance to the semi-finals on goal difference.
Malaysia began their campaign with a goalless draw against Hong Kong before losing 3-0 to hosts Garuda Pertiwi.
Awaiting Malaysia in Friday’s semi-finals will be the Group B winners, with Thailand, Jordan and Singapore still in contention ahead of the final round of group matches today.
The Srikandi Merdeka Cup is an international Under-16 women’s football tournament designed to provide young female players with opportunities to compete, develop and showcase their talent on the international stage. - Bernama
