Malaysia beat Thailand 6-0.
PETALING JAYA: All things went to plan for the Young Tigress as they booked their spot in the Junior World Cup in Chile next year.
A commanding 6-0 win against Thailand in the fifth-sixth placing match of the Junior Asia Cup in Muscat, Oman, yesterday earned Malaysia their second appearance at the World Cup after coming in 11th in the 2022 edition in South Africa.
This time, however, it is their first time heading to the World Cup on merit after competing in South Africa through invitation.
The top five finishers in Muscat earn a spot in the Junior World Cup next year.
Head coach Lailin Abu Hassan praised his team for their resilience in the tournament, despite not making it to the semi-finals after settling for third in Group A behind China and India.
Before taking on Thailand, Malaysia had delivered a stunning 11-0 win against Hong Kong.
"We worked hard to get this win. Everything that we had planned went accordingly. The players knew what we needed to do to make it to the World Cup," said Lailin.
"I’ve seen many young players with potential during this tournament and we need to look forward to training them even more.
"We need to get them ready for bigger tournaments such as the World Cup," he said.
Malaysia’s Nurshamine Azureen Badusha was quick to find the goal in the second minute and went on to score a hattrick with two more goals in the ninth and 19th minutes.
Nurshamine's performance in the tournament also earned her the Rising Star Award, having scored six goals throughout the tournament.
Two goals came courtesy of Azmyra Mia Sofea Azhairy, who scored in the 30th and 53rd minutes, while Thibatharshini James converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute.
Goalkeeper Zati Alyani Mohd Zubir was given the Player of the Match award after holding off the Thai team’s goal attempts.
The dates for the 2025 World Cup in Chile have not been finalised.
