KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 – Malaysia clinched the Merdeka Football Tournament title for the 13th time with a 1-0 win over Lebanon in the final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sunday night.
The Harimau Malaya, under the guidance of new coach Pau Marti Vicente, got the winner through naturalised player Romel Morales in the 33rd minute.
The victory over world number 116 Lebanon allowed world number 134 Malaysia to regain the title they last won in 2013. The Merdeka Tournament, the oldest football competition in Asia, was introduced on Aug 31, 1957.
Earlier, Vicente made six changes to the starting 11 who featured against the Philippines on Wednesday (Sept 4) by bringing in midfielders Endrick Dos Santos and Muhammad Safawi Rasid; striker Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad and defender La’vere Corbin Ong.
The changes worked wonders and Vicente’s strategy delighted the roughly 10,000 supporters with a bold, fast and steady style of play as Malaysia signalled their intent as early as in the seventh minute when Muhammad Safawi’s well-taken freekick was pushed out by Lebanon goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil.
Malaysia continued to dominate the proceedings and finally broke the deadlock when Morales swept home a pass from Dos Santos in the 33rd minute.
