KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia advanced to the Merdeka Tournament final in impressive fashion after defeating India 4-2 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium today.
The defending champions were caught off guard in the opening minutes of the game when India midfielder Rohit Kumar tested the Malaysian defence with a fierce shot from 16 yards, only to be denied by the crossbar
The Harimau Malaya took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Dion Cools struck a half-volley in the penalty box from an Arif Aiman corner that found the bottom-right corner, beating India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Malaysia’s lead did not last long as India retaliated with a goal in the 13th minute through Mahesh Singh.
Malaysia regained the advantage in the 20th minute when Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Arif Aiman slotted home a penalty after a foul on striker Darren Lok.
Faisal Halim of Selangor then sprinted through the Indian defence and scored three minutes before half-time, making the score 3-1 to Malaysia.
The Blue Tigers, led by coach Igor Štimac, looked to stage a comeback in the 51st minute with seasoned striker Sunil Chhetri’s tap-in from a corner, only for Corbin Ong to crush India’s hopes by sealing the win for Malaysia with a low strike to the left corner in the 61st minute.
Malaysia are set to face Tajikistan in the final match of the 42nd edition of the Merdeka Tournament on October 17. – October 13, 2023