Malaysia U17 national team was eliminated in the Qualifying round after being tied with Laos U17 national team, scoring 2-2, in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers Group H at Laos KM16 National Stadium, Vientiane.
Javier Ribera’s squad displayed strong efforts but struggled to secure crucial wins in a challenging group, including a previous 2-0 loss to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which diminished Malaysia’s chances of advancing.
Despite promising talents like Naqiuddin, Izzuddin Afif, Arrayyan Hakeem, and Haziq Aziz, Malaysia fell short of qualification.
The team started energetically, with a well-orchestrated move that saw Arrayyan Hakim open the scoring in the 11th minute, giving Malaysia an early lead.
However, Laos responded swiftly, equalizing in the 22nd minute through Palinedth Phettakounh and later took a 2-1 lead with a penalty goal by Phayak Siphanom before halftime.
Malaysia made several strategic substitutions in the second half to level the score, and Naqif Firhad managed to equalize in the 73rd minute.
However, Laos’ goalkeeper Sankham Thavithong thwarted further Malaysian attempts, maintaining the scoreline through six minutes of added time.
With this result, Malaysia U17 concluded the group stage with a single point, narrowly missing a ticket to the 2025 AFC Asian Cup.
Credit Photo : FAM
