PETALING JAYA: Malaysia fell 2-0 to Tajikistan in the final of the Pestabola Merdeka 2023 tournament at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium tonight.
The hosts went behind in the 44th minute when Rustam Soirov latched on to a defence-splitting pass from midfield to slot home from the right.
Shahrom Samiev sealed the win for Tajikistan after capitalising on a mix-up in defence to score in the 88th minute.
Tajikistan got a “bye” into the final following the last-minute withdrawal of Palestine due to the ongoing conflict against Israel.
Meanwhile, Lebanon pulled out of the five-team tournament in August after it was drawn in the same group as Palestine in the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers set for November.
Tonight’s final was overshadowed by concerns about the pitch’s condition after Malaysia’s first game on Friday against India saw patches of grass uprooted.
The tournament is the first to be held at the stadium since March, when it was closed for the pitch-upgrading process.
The tournament, which made a comeback after a nine-year lapse, was organised as part of the Football Association of Malaysia’s 90th anniversary celebrations. - FMT
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