CHERAS — Malaysia put in a strong effort to earn a hard-fought 1–1 draw against Cape Verde in a Tier 1 international friendly at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras today.
In the early moments of the game, Peter Cklamovski’s team displayed impressive teamwork, with players like Muhammad Nazmi Faiz, Safawi Rasid, and Arif Aiman Hanapi making several attacking runs that challenged the Cape Verdean defence.
However, Malaysia’s early momentum was short-lived, as Cape Verde took the lead in the 8th minute with a goal from Sidny Lopes Cabral.
The 22-year-old defender, who plays for FC Viktoria Köln, scored with a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty area, easily beating goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi.
Playing in a 3-4-3 formation, Malaysia continued to seek an equaliser, with winger Faisal Halim coming close to scoring in the 27th and 35th minutes.
Arif Aiman had the best chance to level the score just before halftime, but Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Josimar Dias made a crucial save on the goal line to keep Malaysia from scoring.
The second half began with increased intensity, and Faisal received the first yellow card of the match from referee Mongkolchai Pechhri for an elbow tackle on Yuran Fernandes.
The trend of yellow cards continued in the 59th and 66th minutes, with Cape Verde’s Ruben Pina and Malaysia’s Nazmi Faiz both receiving cautions for their challenges.
Brazilian-born Malaysian forward Paulo Josue, who entered the game as a substitute in the 79th minute for Safawi Rasid, made an immediate impact, scoring a volley in the 80th minute to equalise after a well-placed cross from Corbin Ong.
The match drew an attendance of 10,708 fans at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.
Malaysia is set to face Cape Verde again in a closed-door training match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3.
These matches against the West African team are part of Harimau Malaya’s preparations for their second Group F match in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam at the National Stadium on June 10. — May 29, 2025