KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Malaysia maintained its unbeaten record under head coach Peter Cklamovski after defeating traditional rivals Singapore 2-1 in a Tier One international friendly match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night.
In his first 'Causeway Derby', Cklamovski made four changes to the starting lineup that had defeated Vietnam 4-0 in a 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers match in June.
Sensational winger Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute, but his shot from inside the penalty box was saved by the visiting goalkeeper Mohamad Izwan Mahbud, who was again brilliant in denying a close-range attempt from Stuart Wilkin four minutes later.
The Harimau Malaya squad's dominance finally paid off in the 26th minute when Wilkin converted a lofted pass from Endrick dos Santos with a powerful close-range shot, beating Izwan.
Malaysia's energetic performance in the first half also highlighted the strong attacking partnership between Joao Figueiredo and Endrick.
Entering the second half, the national team, ranked 125th in the world, continued its aggressive pursuit of an additional goal before successfully scoring again when a cross from the right by Wilkin was calmly finished by Figueiredo in the 55th minute.
However, Malaysia's joy was slightly marred by the loss of midfielder Nazmi Faiz Mansor, who had to be stretchered off due to an injury in the 60th minute and was replaced by Sergio Aguero. Wilkin was also later rested, making way for Quentin Cheng.
Quentin nearly scored with his first touch, but his powerful shot in the 65th minute went straight to Izwan.
Singapore, who were more organised after making player substitutions, managed to narrow the gap through substitute striker Ilhan Fandi, who unleashed a beautiful shot from outside the penalty box to beat Muhammad Haziq Nadzli in the 72nd minute.
Stunned by the goal, Malaysia redoubled their attacks, with the best chance coming in the 81st minute when substitute striker Romel Morales fired a powerful shot, but Izwan was once again excellent in goal, and the 2-1 score remained until the final whistle.
For the record, Malaysia under Cklamovski's guidance remains undefeated in competitive matches, with a record of two wins and one draw in his first three games since being appointed early this year.
Malaysia will next face Palestine in a Tier One international friendly at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, on Monday (September 8).
