Azeman strike gives Malaysia valuable win
Paju: Muhammad Zafuan Azeman (pictured above) was the hero as his 77th minute strike gave Malaysia a 1-0 win over Brunei Darussalam in an AFC Under-19 Championship 2018 Qualifiers Group F tie in Paju, Korea Republic on Saturday.
It was Malaysia's second win, having beaten Timor-Leste 3-1 in their opening match and keeps them on track to seal an automatic berth for the Finals in Indonesia next year.
Despite suffering their third defeat, Brunei will take heart from the fact that they restricted Malaysia's winning margin after having suffered 5-0 and 11-0 losses to Indonesia and Korea Republic.
Malaysia dominated the early part, but it was Brunei who had more opportunities in the goalless first half.
Malaysia continued to dominate in the second half but failed to create clear cut chances until Azeman came to their rescue as his shot in the 77th minute took a deflection and settled in the net.
Bojan Hodak: Malaysia head coach
“It was a tough game indeed, but we won. I would like to say we got more than just three points, since many players had a rest for the next game. Brunei were playing nine players behind the ball, so we had a hard time beating them. Our main problem was our final pass and finishing. Now we have to forget this game and focus on the next game against Indonesia.“
Takao Furiwara: Brunei head coach
“We focused on recovering our mentality after the big loss against Korea Republic. My players did their utmost to prove their quality, but it was not enough. There is still a lot to be developed to reach higher level.“
Photos: AFC
Source: the-afc.com
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