KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Under-16 (U-16) squad began their 2024 Asean U-16 Championship campaign in style by thrashing Timor-Leste 5-0 in the Group C opener in Surakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday (June 22).
The team coached by Javier Jorda Ribera took a 1-0 lead at halftime with a goal from Izzuddin Afif Nazarudin in the 35th minute, before adding four more goals in the second half.
Muhammad Fahmi Nor Farizamal doubled the lead in the 55th minute, followed by goals from Muhammad Awal Wafiy Ahmad Syukri (66th minute) and Arayyan Hakeem Norizam (78th minute), before Muhammad Awal capped off the scoring spree with his second goal in the 89th minute.
The U-16 national squad will face Australia at the same venue on Wednesday (July 26) before concluding their group stage against Thailand on Saturday (July 29) at Stadium Manahan.
Earlier, Thailand and Australia played to a goalless draw in another Group C match.
The group winners and the best runners-up from the groups will advance to the semi-finals on July 1, with the third-place playoff and final scheduled for July 3. — BERNAMA
