ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 9 — Malaysia put up a sizzling show of attacking football to register a 1-0 win over Palestine, a team ranked among the top 100 in the world, in a Tier 1 international match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, here last night.
The only goal of the match was scored by striker Joao Figueiredo, who scored for the third consecutive time with the Harimau Malaya after converting a low cross from Quentin Cheng on the right side as early as the third minute.
A golden opportunity came again for Figueiredo, but his close-range attempt went straight into the arms of Palestine goalkeeper Rami Hamada in the 24th minute, while a shot from Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi three minutes later was also easily denied by the goalkeeper.
Palestine, the 98th-ranked team in the world, had a chance to equalise in second-half added time, but a free kick from Wessam Abou Ali only rattled the goal post, ensuring Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed’s goal remained unbreached until the final whistle.
Tonight’s victory saw the national team, who are ranked 125th, continue their unbeaten record under the guidance of head coach Peter Cklamovski as he has guided Malaysia to three wins and one draw since his appointment.
Tonight’s match also saw heritage player Richard Chin make his debut with the national team when he was brought on in the 80th minute, replacing Quentin Cheng.
The last time Malaysia defeated Palestine was in 2001 with a 4-3 victory in a group match of the 2002 World Cup Qualification round in Doha, Qatar.
After this, Cklamovski’s men are scheduled to continue their Group F campaign in the 2027 Asia Cup Qualification round against Laos in Vientiane on Oct 9 before hosting the same opponent on Oct 14.
