The Malaysian Under-19 national team kicked off their ASEAN U19 Championship Group B campaign in style, cruising to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over rivals Singapore at the Teladan Stadium on Tuesday.

First-Half Blitz Sets the Tone

The Young Tigers took absolute control of the match right from the opening whistle, suffocating Singapore with their dominant possession and offensive pressure.

The breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Arif Aiman Zaaba expertly guided home a corner kick delivered by Arayyan Hakeem Norizam to put Malaysia ahead.

The national youth team nearly doubled their lead just a minute later, but Tengku Hasyri Shah Meerza Tengku Hazman’s low driving shot painfully rattled against the goalpost.

The near-miss was quickly forgotten in the 39th minute when forward Abid Safaraz Rozaidi found the back of the net, ensuring coach Nafuzi Zain’s side headed into the halftime break with a comfortable and well-deserved 2-0 cushion.

Sealing the Three Points

Malaysia maintained their relentless momentum into the second half. In the 61st minute, Tengku Hasyri made amends for his first-half woodwork heartbreak.

The attacker brilliantly outmanoeuvred the Singaporean defence before unleashing a spectacular curling effort that left Singapore goalkeeper Ilhan Hady Bin Mohamed Rezal completely beaten for the third time.

Faced with a daunting three-goal deficit, Singapore attempted to launch late counter-attacks to salvage the game. However, the Malaysian backline stood resolute, neutralizing any threats to keep a clean sheet until the final whistle.

The Race for Group B Supremacy

With this victory, Malaysia sits comfortably in second place in Group B, tied on three points with regional powerhouses Thailand, who earlier sent a warning shot across the tournament by demolishing Brunei 9-0.

The Young Tigers will look to build on this fantastic start when they face a wounded Brunei side this Friday at the Teladan Stadium, before facing Thailand next Monday at the Madya Stadium 1 in what is expected to be the defining battle for the top spot in the group.

Match Summary

ASEAN U19 Championship – Group B

MALAYSIA (3) vs SINGAPORE (0)

• 21′ – Arif Aiman Zaaba (Malaysia)
• 39′ – Abid Safaraz Rozaidi (Malaysia)
• 61′ – Tengku Hasyri Shah Meerza Tengku Hazman (Malaysia)