Malaysia team won hard against host Laos, rematch at Bukit Jalil

Despite a difficult first half, coach Cklamovski's adjustments helped Malaysia defeat host Laos 3-0 in the third round of Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on the evening of October 9.

Having just gone through a major upheaval when 7 players were banned by FIFA for falsifying Malaysian citizenship documents, Coach Cklamovski had to use a patchwork squad in the match against Laos. The Australian coach did not have many options, having to field 10 domestic players, most of whom are playing in the country. Romel Morales (a Colombian striker) was an exception, chosen to play the highest position in the attack.

Afiq Aiman ​​(12) shined, helping the Malaysian team defeat Laos

PHOTO: FAM

As coach Cklamovski predicted in the pre-match press conference, the Malaysian team had a difficult first half because Laos played very resiliently. Although Malaysia started well, controlling the ball up to 75%, they were completely deadlocked by the home team's deep formation. Afiq Aiman ​​- considered Malaysia's best player - almost "disappeared" on the field. Meanwhile, on the opposite wing, defender Corbin-Ong often went up high, made crosses but was easily neutralized by the Lao defense.

Realizing the deadlock, in the second half of the first half, coach Cklamovski began to change tactics, passing the ball to Romel Morales. Statistics from Sofascore showed that the Malaysian team shot 7 times in this half and Romel Morales alone had 6. However, Romel Morales did not score any goals against the Lao team, causing Malaysia to end the first half with a 0-0 draw. After the break, Malaysia still had many difficulties against the dense Lao defense. However, in the 53rd minute, Afiq Aiman ​​suddenly spoke up with a classy move, opening the score. Since the goal that broke the deadlock in both the game and mentality, the Malaysian team started to play easier and continuously put the Lao team's goal in a state of alarm. What had to happen happened, in the 69th minute, captain Dion Cools suddenly entered the penalty area, raising the score to 2-0. Not stopping there, in the 90+8 minute, Malaysia set the score 3-0 thanks to an easy goal by Faisal Halim.

Defeating Laos 3-0, the Malaysian team has its third consecutive win in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. In the context that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is in the process of appealing to FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has not yet accepted the case, Malaysia's victory can somewhat calm domestic public opinion. The Malaysian team has 9 points, continuing to lead Group F. On the other hand, Laos only has 3 points after 3 matches, ranked 3rd and almost eliminated. The two sides will play again at Bukit Jalil Stadium (Malaysia) on October 14.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-malaysia-thang-nhoc-nhan-chu-nha-lao-tai-dau-o-chao-lua-bukit-jalil-185251009223503408.htm