Harimau Muda Qualify for 2027 U-20 Asian Cup Finals

The Harimau Malaya B-19 squad secured their ticket to the 2027 U-20 Asian Cup finals in China after defeating Laos 2-1 in the final Group H match at the National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane on Sunday.

The victory saw Malaysia finish the group stage with five points from one win and two draws, emerging as group runners-up behind Indonesia, who topped the standings with seven points.

That achievement was sufficient to ensure that Shukor Adan’s charges were among the seven best runners-up that also qualified for the finals, after all qualifying matches across Asia were completed.

Earlier, Malaysia opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Indonesia before playing out a 2-2 draw with Australia in their second match.

Tasked with a must‑win mission, the national side started aggressively when Haziq Aziz Ahyok opened the scoring as early as the seventh minute.

That goal gave the Harimau Muda a psychological advantage, and they then appeared more composed in controlling the game, taking a 1-0 lead into the half‑time break.

Laos attempted to fight back after the restart, increasing the pressure in search of an equaliser, and their efforts paid off through Odin Siphanit in the 61st minute.

The national side, however, did not wait long to regain the lead when Fadhlul Hadi Zulkarnain scored the winning goal in the 77th minute, sealing a 2-1 victory.

Based on the standings of the best runners‑up, Malaysia confirmed their progress together with Iraq, Thailand, India, Australia, Jordan and Syria.

The 2027 U-20 Asian Cup finals, scheduled to take place in China next March, will feature 16 teams: hosts China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Tajikistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Thailand, India, Australia, Jordan and Syria.

Bernama