Malaysia lost miserably in the opening match of the U23 Asia Championship.

Qatar and Malaysia were outclassed, not having a single shot on target against Uzbekistan and losing 0-2 in the opening match of Group D of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship on the evening of April 17.

Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvakhid Nematov finished the match with his shirt dry and sweat-free. He did not have to make a single save throughout the match, mostly touching the ball when his teammates passed it back simply and without being pressed by the opponent. The rare time Nematov showed his talent was when he rushed out to hold the ball in the 84th minute. Haqimi received the pass over the Uzbekistan defense, but the Malaysian striker controlled the ball with a step too long for the opponent goalkeeper to easily clear.

Malaysia (in yellow) was powerless to stop Uzbekistan, losing 0-2 in the opening match of the U23 Asian Cup in Qatar on April 17. Photo: AFC

Malaysia were completely outclassed by Uzbekistan. The Southeast Asian representative played with a five-man midfield formation, but could not control the midfield. Striker Fergus Tierney was always "hungry for the ball", often having to retreat to the third of the field near his own goal to hunt. According to statistics from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Malaysia only had two shots in the entire match, but neither of them were aimed at the Uzbekistan goal.

The match at Khalifa Stadium was like an attacking practice match for Uzbekistan. Coach Timur Kapadze's team completely controlled the game, with only the goalkeeper often staying at home, as the remaining 10 players rushed to the opponent's half to launch attacks.

Main events of the match Uzbekistan 2-0 Malaysia.

In addition to their superior level, Uzbekistan had an advantage partly because they scored early. In the 9th minute, Malaysian midfielder Syahir had the ball in the penalty area, but handled it carelessly and lost it, then fouled Jiyanov by kicking him in the leg. The referee blew the whistle for a penalty and from the 11m mark, Jalolidinov jumped and kicked the ball accurately to open the score for Uzbekistan.

Khoshimov (No. 9) celebrates scoring the winning goal in the 2-0 win over Malaysia, at Khalifa Stadium. Photo: AFC

Winning 2-0, Uzbekistan topped Group D. Malaysia meanwhile dropped to the bottom of the group and they will play their next two matches against Vietnam (April 20) and Kuwait (April 23).

Lam Thoa

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