The national Under-22 football team not up to par after suffering a 2-1 defeat in their second friendly match against Bahrain Under-22 at the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam earlier today.
German head coach Frank Bernhardt made a number of changes from his side’s goalless draw against the Middle Eastern country a few days ago with the likes of Syafiq Ahmad, Amirul Hisyam Awang Kechik and Adib Zainuddin earning a place in the starting line-up.
The first half saw both teams have equal share of possession but Bahrain were undeniably the team with the better chances and could have opened the scoring on several occasions.
Frank Bernhardt tinkered with the squad during half-time and introduced Syazwan Bahari, Ahmad Khairil Anuar, Nur Shamie and S. Kumaahran at the beginning of the second half.
The visitors finally drew first blood on the 52nd minute of the tie through Hazza Ali Mubarak. However, in a matter of minutes, Penang forward S. Kumaahran scored the equalizer.
The tempo of the match immediately increased and both teams had their fair share of opportunities, but it was Hazza Mubarak who won the game for Bahrain on the 90th minute.
The German coach has managed 8 games since his reign began at the start of the year and recorded two wins, three draws, and three defeats as the national Under-22 head coach.
Other posts by Prashant Kharbanda
