Razip Ismail’s men bounced back from their defeat to Vietnam, with an unconvincing victory over Macau earlier today.
Goals from Syahrul Azwari and Wan Nazli were more than enough to secure the win, though the match depicted Malaysia’s struggles to convert dominance into tangible products, which in this case, are goals.
They controlled the tempo from the get go and didn’t require much time to break the deadlock. A good move from Razip’s men, saw Syahrul Azwari work his way into the box, but the talented forward was tripped, allowing his side to gain a spot kick. The man himself stepped up, and dispatched effectively, to hand Malaysia the lead on the 10th minute.
But even after the goal, Malaysia continued to dictate possession, but there was barely any vision and incision in their moves. They struggled to make an impact on the final third, as the game went into half time.
After the break, Kenny Palraj almost made it 2-0, though his excellent free-kick attempt was parried away by the Macau goalkeeper, giving them a corner kick. From the resulting corner kick, Ridzuan found the back of the net, though the goal was ruled out, with Annas Rahmat adjudged to have fouled a defender.
The Young Tigers eventually did get their second goal, with Wan Nazli finding the back of the net on the 66th minute, to double their score line. It left Macau with a mountain to climb, though Malaysia’s inability to kill the game, allowed Macau to threaten on several occasions.
Razip’s men held strong, and eventually did enough to complete the win and earn their first three points of the qualifying campaign. But with a massive match against Japan coming up on Tuesday, this performance would have done very little to convince anyone of their prowess.
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