Malaysia suffered a frustrating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Syria, raising plenty of questions ahead of the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup. Dollah Salleh opted to start with Mat Yo and Amri Yahya upfront, with Shukor Adan given the captain’s armband in the absence of Safiq Rahim.
However, the Syrians flew off to an impressive start, by taking the lead on the 3rd minute mark. Nadim Sabagh pulled off a terrific strike from outside the box, which was deflected off a defender on it’s way past Farizal Marlias into the Malaysian goal. That was already a clear indication of what was in store for the home side.
But as the game progressed, Malaysia systematically struggled to contain the Syrian midfield, with Shukor in particular struggling to form a protective membrane over the defence. Safiq’s absence was definitely missed, as they failed to create much on the offensive as well.
Most offensive forays ended up on the flanks, with Kunanlan working hard, but the Syrians were equally diligent in keeping the guards up and tight as well. Amri did manage to fire one on target, though it was saved comfortably by the Syrian goalie.
After the break, Syria immediately doubled their lead on the 47th minute, as Sanharib Malki found the back of the net. That placed a massive dent in Malaysia’s tactical confidence, as the Syrians began to utilize the momentum to dominate the flow and tempo of the match.
As the game progressed, Dollah Salleh made a few core changes to revive what was left, by introducing Aidil Zafuan and Hafiz Kamal on the half hour mark. But just six minutes after their introduction, Syria scored the third goal of the game through Omar Khribin’s close range header.
Piya was then brought on as well to add a little more flair, but even his arrival failed to spark a change as far as the game was concerned. They remained sloppy in possession, and lacked creativity on the final third.
Fadhli Shas was even sent off for a second bookable offence late in the game, to make things much worse for the Malayan Tigers. But they eventually held on and went into damage control mode, allowing Syria to cruise and secure a comfortable 3-0 win on the day.
And with the AFF Suzuki Cup looming closer, one can’t help but wonder if Malaysia should even be considered as contenders, judging by their level of performance today. That said, only time will tell.
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