Without naturalization, Malaysian football lost the match... 11 goals to nil

In preparation for the upcoming U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, Malaysian football organized a training trip in Europe and suffered a shocking defeat.

Malaysia U16 team plays friendly match to prepare for U17 tournament next year - Photo: SC

The above defeat took place between the Croatia U16 and Malaysia U16 teams. In order to meet the age requirements for the AFC U17 Championship next year, Malaysia sent the U16 team to Croatia for training.

As a youth team, Malaysia did not use any naturalized players. As a result, they suffered a shocking 11-0 defeat against opponents of the same age group in Europe.

Despite the defeat, the efforts of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in investing in youth football are undeniable.

Earlier this year, the Malaysian U16 team traveled to Switzerland for a FIFA tournament. There, they played two group stage matches, losing 0-1 to Paraguay, 0-2 to Tunisia, and beating Guatemala 1-0 in the qualifying round.

A few months later, Malaysia U16 participated in a friendly tournament in Australia. They played 6 matches in this tournament, with a record of 1 win, 4 draws, and 1 loss.

It can be said that Malaysian youth football is receiving large investments with continuous opportunities to travel to powerful football continents for training and competition.

In the upcoming U17 Asian qualifiers, Malaysia is in Group C with Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Northern Mariana Islands and Macau.

The 2026 AFC U-17 Championship will be held in Saudi Arabia, with a total of 16 teams taking part. There are currently 9 teams that have qualified, including the host Saudi Arabia and 8 others (thanks to their 2025 U-17 World Cup spots).

The qualifying round consists of 7 groups, with the remaining 7 tickets for the top team in each group. U16 Vietnam and U16 Malaysia promise to be the top candidates.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-nhap-tich-bong-da-malaysia-thua-tran-11-ban-khong-go-20251111134642278.htm