Malaysia U23 national team produced a commanding performance to secure their first three points in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, thrashing Mongolia U23 7-0 at Thammasat Stadium. The emphatic victory temporarily sends the Young Tigers to the top of Group F.
Malaysia, however, suffered an early setback when midfielder Haiqal Haqeemi was forced off with a knee injury. Despite the blow, Nafuzi Zain’s men showed resilience and immediately went on the offensive.
The breakthrough came quickly. Aliff Izwan opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Aysar Hadi doubled the lead just three minutes later, putting Malaysia firmly in control at 2-0.
Shortly before halftime, Fergus Tierney added his name to the scoresheet with a well-taken finish, giving Malaysia a comfortable 3-0 advantage at the break.
The second half saw Tierney steal the spotlight. Within the first two minutes of the restart, the forward struck twice in quick succession to complete a stunning hat-trick, stretching the lead to 5-0.
Malaysia showed no signs of slowing down. Aliff Izwan netted his second of the match before Ziad El Basheer piled on another to make it 7-0. In injury time, Aliff thought he had secured his hat-trick, but his effort was ruled offside.
The scoreline remained 7-0 at the final whistle, sealing Malaysia’s first victory of the campaign and a vital boost in their qualification hopes.
With three points in the bag and a superior goal difference, Malaysia sit atop Group F ahead of their next crucial clash with Thailand.
Credit Photo : FAM
