Malaysia continued their impressive charge in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers after sealing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Singapore in their fourth Group C match at PVF Training Centre, Hanoi.
Head coach Javier Jorda Ribera once again entrusted Adrian Muslim in goal, while captain Arrayan Hakeem marshalled the midfield and Iman Danish spearheaded the attacking line.
For Singapore, Ilhan Rezal stood between the posts with the strike partnership of Vedant Raj and Danish Hazin leading their frontline.
In just the 5th minute, star forward Iman Danish broke the deadlock, calmly slotting home after a brilliant cross from captain Arrayan Hakeem — giving Malaysia the perfect start and immediate control of the tie.
Harimau Malaya continued to push for their second goal with a series of quick, aggressive attacks, but Singapore held firm with several last-ditch defensive interventions.
Singapore also threatened intermittently through their forward duo, but their shots lacked precision to trouble Adrian Muslim.
Malaysia finally doubled the lead in the 44th minute, and this time the captain took matters into his own hands.
Arrayan Hakeem, perfectly positioned inside the box, converted a simple pass to make it 2–0, giving Malaysia a strong cushion heading into halftime.
The Lions came out more aggressively in the second half, pushing hard for a lifeline.
Malaysia nearly killed the game off in the 70th minute when Shakir Zamri had a golden opportunity, but his strike was brilliantly denied by Singaporean keeper Ilhan Rezal.
Five minutes later, Singapore pulled one back. From a corner, Aaryan Hermi unleashed a superb effort to beat Adrian Muslim, cutting Malaysia’s lead to 2–1 and setting up a tense final stretch.
Singapore pressed relentlessly in the final 10 minutes, but Malaysia held firm with disciplined defending to secure all three points.
Harimau Malaya U16 extend their perfect run to four wins from four matches, keeping them firmly in the race for the sole automatic qualifying spot from Group C for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Finals.
Everything now comes down to Sunday, 30 November, where Malaysia will face hosts Vietnam in a winner-takes-all clash at the PVF Youth Football Training Center, kickoff at 8 PM (Malaysia time).
Credit Photo : VFF
