Malaysia’s AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 campaign suffered another crushing setback after they were swept aside 7-0 by Afghanistan in their decisive Group D encounter at Jakarta International Velodrome, Jakarta.
Malaysia entered the tie with clear intent, dominating the opening exchanges and looking the more likely to score. Awalluddin Nawi and Harith Naim both forced Afghanistan’s goalkeeper, Javad Safari, into high-alert saves early on. The Malaysian pressure was palpable, but the breakthrough remained elusive.
The tide turned in the seventh minute through a lapse in defensive concentration. A poorly-aligned Malaysian wall allowed a Reza Hosseinpoor kick-in to strike the woodwork, and Seyed Hossein Mousavi was the quickest to react, knocking home the rebound to put Afghanistan ahead against the run of play.
If the opener was a stumble, the middle of the first half was a freefall. Malaysia struggled to match Afghanistan’s sudden injection of pace. In the 12th minute, Farzad Mahmoodi finished a crisp move, and before Malaysia could regroup, Sayed Mojtaba Husseini prodded in another just seconds later.
The knockout blow came in the 15th minute when Mohammad Moradi showcased individual brilliance, weaving through the defense before curling a spectacular effort into the top corner. At 4-0 down, Malaysia faced a mountain that proved impossible to climb.
To their credit, Malaysia emerged from the halftime break with a more disciplined defensive shape, briefly stemming the tide. However, the relentless speed of the Afghan counter-attack eventually broke through again. In the 28th minute, Omid Qanbari exploited space on the flank to set up Reza Hosseinpoor, who deftly scooped the ball over the advancing Syawal Sabaruddin.
As Malaysia pushed forward in desperation, the risks became rewards for Afghanistan. Goalkeeper Javad Safari turned provider to scorer in the 33rd minute, saving a Khairul Effendy strike before punting the ball the length of the pitch into an empty net. Qanbari added a near-identical long-range goal just before the final buzzer to seal the 7-0 result.
While it was a night to forget for the Malaysian faithful, the focus now shifts to salvaging pride in their remaining fixtures, while Afghanistan prepares for a Sunday showdown against Iran to decide the group winner.
Credit Photo : AFC
