Malaysia continued their disappointing form in the 2018 World Cup/2019 Asian Cup qualifiers campaign as they lost to Saudi Arabia 2-0 at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah last night.
As predicted, Saudi Arabia dominated the game, with majority of the match being played in the Malaysian half. The Green Falcons definitely overshadowed the Malaysians in every aspect and the one man who played a part in every aspect of their victory was none other than their midfielder, Yahia Alshehri.
The player, encasing the number 8 jersey, proved his worthiness as an all-rounder in today’s match as he displayed exceptional vision, strength and tactical awareness.
The 26-year old playmaker assisted Taiseer Al Jassam’s goal, the second goal for Saudi. It certainly wasn’t a simple pass considering the fact that the pass was made within the D-box, which was also crowded with Malaysian defenders.
His prowess as a holding midfielder was also exhibited on the pitch as he held off Harimau Malaysia’s players, causing them to misplace passes. His positioning was also spot-on as he was providing support for his teammates whenever they needed it, making impressive forward runs and of course, creating amazing chances for Saudi Arabia to slot in.
Yasir Alshahrani deserves a mention as he created chances and managed to challenge Malaysia’s shot-stopper, Khairul Fahmi. On that note, Harimau Malaysia would have been 4 down if it weren’t for Apek’s fantastic saves. The Kelantan-born goalkeeper even managed to pull-off a double save.
Despite Bert van Marwijk’s men shining throughout the match, Yahia Alshehri managed to take the cake as he displayed an all-rounder performance.
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