Malayan tigers win Merdeka cup
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malayan Tigers’ 11-year wait to lift the Merdeka Cup ended with a 1-0 victory over Lebanon in the final match held at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil (SNBJ) earlier today.
According to Harian Metro, it was even sweeter as Malayan Tigers coach Pau Marti Vicente made history by proving his capability to win the cup with just two matches.
Pau Marti, who took over from Kim Pan-gon two months ago, made a surprise decision by resting Arif Aiman Hanapi and Akhyar Rashid from the starting lineup.
Malaysia had a chance to take the lead in the 20th minute through Syafiq Ahmad, but his acrobatic shot was blocked by the opponent’s defense.
The long-awaited goal for over 10,000 Malayan Tigers fans came in the 33rd minute, with Romel Morales easily scoring to make it 1-0.
Lebanon, led by Miodrag Radulovic, had a chance to equalize late in the first half through their striker Gabriel Bitar, but his shot missed the target, relieving Malaysian goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi.
In the second half, the Malayan Tigers continued to be ‘energetic’ by bringing in Arif Aiman and Akhyar to refresh the attacking lineup.
The strategy proved effective when Arif Aiman’s dangerous move in the 52nd minute nearly resulted in a second goal, but his shot was weak and saved by the opponent’s goalkeeper.
Four minutes later, Akhyar had an opportunity to score, but his shot was easily read by the opponent, preventing Lebanon’s goal from being breached further.
The visiting team, which made two substitutions, had another chance to equalize through Omar Chabaan, but his shot was slightly off target.
With 12 minutes remaining, Lebanon suffered another setback when their defender Khalil Khamis was sent off with a yellow card for a foul on an opponent.
The score remained 1-0 until the end of the match, allowing the Malayan Tigers to finally end their 11-year wait and become the Merdeka Cup champions for 2024.
Historically, in previous editions, the Malayan Tigers ended as runners-up after losing to Tajikistan 0-2.
The last time Malaysia won the Merdeka Cup was in 2013 with the under-23 team (B-23), who defeated Myanmar 2-0 in the final.