Thailand have been crowned as the new AFF Suzuki Cup champions after defeating Malaysia 4-3 on aggregate in the final of the competition.
Having secured a 2-0 win in the first leg, Kiatisuk’s men travelled to Kuala Lumpur for the second leg, where 100,000 fans packed into the stadium, creating a boisterous atmosphere.
And that certainly aided the home side as they went ahead on the 4th minute through a Safiq Rahim penalty, through the decision to award one was rather questionable. Either way, that injected confidence into Malaysia as they pushed ahead aggresively.
Amri Yahya was absolutely influential in the middle of the park, closing down against the Thai defenders at an exceptional rate, allowing Indra and Norshahrul to break free on the offensive.
But the Thais themselves had several chances, with Kroekrit guilty of missing at least two opportunities within the first 45 minutes. With the Thais visibly looking frustrated, Dollah’s men upped their tempo in the last five minutes, looking for the second goal.
That eventually arrived just before the break with Indra Putra towering over the Thai defence to head home and make it 2-0; sending the entire stadium into rapture.
After the break, the tempo of the game was never altered as Malaysia continued to operate confidently on the ball, though the Thais visibly altered their approach, trying to keep the ball and frustrate their Malaysian counterparts.
But on the 58th minute, Norshahrul was brought down just outside the penalty box, gifting Malaysia a free kick from an extremely dangerous area. Safiq Rahim stepped up and curled an impeccable attempt into the back of the net, making it 3-0 on the night.
However, this is where Thailand started increasing their tempo, and eventually pulled one back through Charyl Chappuis’ predatory finish from inside the box. This was already devastating enough, considering that they would triumph on away goals should the score line remain till the end.
Of course, being Kiatisuk’s charges, defending deep was never an option. So they continued pushing and eventually added more salt into Malaysia’s wounds by scoring their second goal on the day. Chanatip Songkrasin, who was impressive in the first leg, produced a sensational strike to make it 3-2 on the night, allowing Thailand to clinch the final 4-3 on aggregate.
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