Malaysia book semis spot despite draw with Uzbekistan

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia booked their place in the semi-finals of the Under-18 Asia Cup despite being held to a 2–2 draw by Uzbekistan in a tense Group B encounter yesterday.

Goals from Izz Ilhan Azrul Ridzuan (35th minute) and Rafiq Mohd Raze (57th) salvaged a crucial point for the national side after Uzbekistan twice took the lead through Bunyodbek Khudoynazarov (34th) and Nuriddinbek Rahmatullaev (51st) at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre in China.