Other

Kuwait Mauled Rusty Harimau Malaya 4-1

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24  — Having not played competitive match for more than 550 days, the national football team is far from its form when mauled 4-1 by Kuwait in a friendly match at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The world number 148 Kuwait drew the first blood when Mohd Farizal Marlias failed to stop Ahmad Aldhefeery’s long range effort in the 21st minute in the warm up match kicked-off at 7.15 pm local time (11.15pm Malaysian time) on Sunday.

However, Harimau Malaya’s new naturalised striker Guilherme de Paula levelled the score by converting a cross from La’Vere Lawrence Corbin-Ong seven minutes later (28’). The score remains 1-1 till halftime.

Back after the break, Harimau Malaya head coach Tan Cheng Hoe decided to sub-out the entire team, only leaving de Paula and Syamer Kutty Abba from the starting eleven.

Only three minutes into the play, young sensation Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, who earned his senior team debut, had a goal scoring chance denied by Kuwait’s goalkeeper.

The Blue Wave squad again took the lead through Fahad Alhajeri’s header in the 55th minute, while striker Shabaib Alkhaldi netted in another goal in the 61st minute against the world number 153 Malaysia.

Kuwait continued its scoring feat through skipper Fahad Al-Alabraim’s freekick in the 68th, forcing Cheng Hoe to hand goal keeper Samuel Somerville a debut to replace Khairulazhan Khalid.

Cheng Hoe has another friendly fixture against world number 99, Bahrain, at Manama on Friday to work on the team, before returning to Dubai to face the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup second round qualifying.

The Harimau Malaya squad is set to resume Group G qualifiers against UAE on June 3, Vietnam (June 11) and Thailand (June 15) with the aim of making it to the 2023 Asian Cup in China.

The national team’s last match was the 2-0 win over Indonesia in the qualifying campaign on Nov 19, 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the qualifiers.

Sources: BERNAMA

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

Toshiba Turns 95 with a Giant Fridge, Big Vibes & A Spot in the Malaysia Book of Records

Who says anniversaries are just cake and candles? For Toshiba’s 95th Anniversary Dealer Convention, it… Read More

16 hours ago

Resorts World Sentosa’s Singapore Oceanarium Introduces New Experiences As Ticket Sales Go Live

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS, 圣淘沙名胜世界) has announced that ticket sales have launched for Singapore Oceanarium… Read More

17 hours ago

Barista Brews at Prices You Won’t Believe Exist

Think handcrafted coffee always comes with a hefty price tag? Think again. Across Malaysia, cafés… Read More

17 hours ago

POCO Introduces POCO F7: Where Futuristic Design Meets Exceptional Power

POCO, a leading technology brand among young tech enthusiasts, today unveiled POCO F7, setting a… Read More

17 hours ago

Proton Owners Hit the Road for Wellness: AG Autoworld x Herbal Farmer Flag Off First-Ever Fun Drive in Johor

What do you get when you mix wellness, good vibes, and 30 Proton cars? A… Read More

17 hours ago

OMSMC Earns Spot in Newsweek’s Global Hospital Rating 2025

Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre (OMSMC) has been listed in Newsweek’s Global Hospital Rating 2025,… Read More

21 hours ago

This website uses cookies.