Late strike saves Malaysia a point against Indonesia in AFF meet

Phnom Penh: It was a battling performance from two close rivals but in the end, Malaysia and Indonesia had to be content with one point each following their 2-2 draw in Group B of the 2019 AFF U22 Cup at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

While Malaysia won their first point after losing to the hosts two days earlier, for Indonesia it was their second point of the competition as they look to wrap up the group with a match against Cambodia on Friday.

The fight was almost even in the first half although it was Indonesia who came the closest on several occasions.

Gian Zola Nugraha, Rachmatrianto, Muhammad Rafi Syarahil and also Osvaldo Haay all had their chances but either it was too wide or were denied by the hardworking Malaysian captain Dominic Tan who formed a strong defence alongside Ariff Ariffin.

Osvaldo’s best effort came with five minutes remaining of the first half but after rounding off keeper Muhammad Haziq Nadzli, the angle was too tight as he hit the side netting.

Malaysia continued to struggle after the break and just eight minutes after the restart, the Young Tigers fell behind when Marinus Wanewar punished a defensive lapse.

But the Malaysians stayed firm and in the 62nd minute they drew level with Nik Akif Syahiran Nik Mat delivering a well-taken free-kick.

Indonesia continued to push forward and in the 77th minute, Witan Sulaeman fired in from some 20 metres out to beat Muhammad Haziq for the second time.

And just when Indonesia thought that they had the three points in the bag, a corner from Nik Akif three minutes from the end was headed into goal by the lanky Muhammad Hadi Fayyadh Abdul Razak.

“We scored two goals but we just could not anticipate the set-pieces. The Malaysians had to play a more direct game as they were struggling with open play. But the boys played better than they did against Myanmar," said Indonesia head coach Indra Sjafri.

Malaysia head coach Ong Kim Swee said: “We needed at least a point and the boys showed a lot of character today. They fell behind twice and they drew level. Now we need the full points against Myanmar.”

Result

Group B

Indonesia 2-2 Malaysia

Feb 21

Group A (Local time)

Vietnam v Thailand (15:30)

Timor Leste v Philippines (18:30)

Source: Asean Football FederationSource: the-afc.com