Malaysia national futsal team failed to produce an opening-day upset after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Australia’s national futsal team in Group B of the ASEAN Futsal Championship 2026 at Nonthaburi PAO Gymnasium, Nonthaburi.
Head coach Addie Azwan Zainal entrusted Syed Shahrul Niezam Syed Abd Rahim with the captain’s armband for the encounter, while young Pahang Rangers star Adam Rayyan Nor Hisam was tasked with leading the line.
Despite early pressure from Australia, who entered the match ranked 51st in the world, Malaysia stunned their opponents by taking the lead in the sixth minute. Adam Rayyan capitalised on an opportunity to fire the Harimau Malaya futsal squad ahead.
Australia, guided by head coach Miles Downie, responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser but were unable to break through Malaysia’s defence before halftime. The national side carried their 1-0 advantage into the break.
After the restart, Australia intensified their attacking pressure and eventually found the equaliser in the 17th minute. Spotting the Malaysian goal momentarily unguarded, an Australian player calmly slotted the ball into the net despite a late attempt from goalkeeper Ammar Harith Mohamed to recover.
With the momentum shifting, Australia continued to push forward and found the decisive goal five minutes before the final whistle, when Ethan De Melo struck to seal the 2-1 comeback victory.
Malaysia will now face a major challenge in their next Group B match when they take on Indonesia, the Asian runners-up, on 7 April.
Credit Photo : HongZheng Lim/SNE-Photo
