KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia began their Under-23 Asian Cup campaign with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar today.
The Harimau Muda displayed prowess in the first eight minutes of their group opener when attackers Muhammad Aliff Izwan and Fergus Tierney attempted to sprint past the Uzbekistan defence on several occasions, nearly finding compatriot Luqman Hakim Shamsudin for the opening goal.
Uzbekistan, under head coach Timur Kapadze, dominated the midfield through the pairing of Jasurbek Jaloliddinov and Umarali Rakhmonaliev, constantly finding their strikers with through passes, forcing Harimau Muda goalkeeper Azim Amin into several crucial saves.
However, the breakthrough came in the 11th minute when Uzbekistan’s Ruslanbek Jiyanov was brought down in the box by midfielder Syahir Bashah.
This led to Jaloliddinov, who plays for Neftchi Fargona in his country’s domestic league, calmly slotting in the penalty to give his side the lead.
Stunned by the goal, Malaysia attempted quick transition plays between Luqman Hakim and Selangor FC’s Nooa Laine, only to be consistently thwarted by their opponents, who capitalised through several counterattacks.
Uzbekistan continued to apply pressure on the Malaysia defence, making it difficult for Juan Torres Garrido’s charges to connect their moves until the half-time whistle.
Malaysia showed several glimpses of hope in the second half through substitute Muhammad Najmuddin Akmal, who came on for Aliff Izwan.
The 21-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim defensive midfielder forced goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov, making his eighth appearance for his country, into a double save at the near post in the 49th minute.
Match fitness was clearly lacking in the Harimau Muda’s performance in the game’s final half hour, with Luqman Hakim, Mukhairi Ajmal and Tierney being hauled off to avoid injuries for Malaysia’s remaining two group matches.
Ulugbek Khoshimov sealed the victory for Uzbekistan after a careless mistake by Muhammad Abu Khalil, who gave the ball away on the right wing in the 90th minute.
Currently sitting bottom of Group D, Malaysia will play their second group match against Vietnam on Sunday and Kuwait on April 23.
The Harimau Muda’s best achievement in the U23 Asian Cup was in 2018, when they reached the quarter-finals of the tournament held in China. – April 17, 2024