Scoring chances were plentiful but in the end, Malaysia could only manage a hard-fought come-from-behind 3-1 win over Laos in their second Group A match in the AFF Suzuki Cup at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Monday.
With the win the Malaysians champion in 2010, top the group with six points after matches, having beaten Cambodia 1-0 in Phnom Penh last week. In another Group A match played at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium in Mandalay, hosts Myanmar whipped Cambodia 4-1.
It was another woeful night of missed chances for Harimau Malaya on a night when the visitors took a shock seventh-minute lead from a freekick after Shahrul Saad gave away a foul.
Phithack Kongmathilath stunned the home fans when his well-executed left-footed kick sailed into the top left corner past a shocked Khairul Fahmi Che Mat but Harimau Malaya got back into the picture just as fast.
Skipper Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak equalized on 14 minutes from the six-yard box when he slammed in a cross from Syahmi Safari on the right. However from there on it was a struggle for the Malaysians although they had a significant share of the ball and chances.
But muffed chances frustrated the homesters and head coach Tan Cheng Hoe even used all his hitmen midway in the second-half – bring in Akhyar Rasid, Shahrel Fikri, and Ahmad Hazwan Bakri for Syazwan Zainon, Safawi Rasid, and Syafiq Ahmad.
Norshahrul who scored the winner against Cambodia once again showed that he is still lethal with his finishing and struck a late brace to add respectability to the scoreline and ease the pressure on the team.
Mat Yo, as Norshahrul is popularly known, scored his first when he managed to get the ball past Laos custodian Outthilath Nammakhot during a melee off a corner kick.
The 32-year-old struck again in added time when he planted an unstoppable header past Outthilath for a win which Malaysia richly deserved before they face Vietnam at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Friday.
Cheng Hoe when commenting on the muffed chances said: “They (players) are still young and good potential. They need time to adapt to the international level. As a coach, I always encourage them and give full support.” – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
