Malaysia’s women’s national team produced one of their most spirited performances in recent years, pushing higher-ranked Jordan to the brink before suffering a dramatic 4-3 defeat in an international friendly at King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman.
Despite facing a side ranked 72nd in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, the Malayan Tigress showcased resilience, attacking quality, and growing maturity, holding a two-goal lead in the first half before Jordan mounted a late comeback to snatch victory in stoppage time.
Head coach Malaysia named a balanced lineup featuring captain Nur Lyana Soberi, goalkeeper Asma Junaidi, and Selangor FC attacking duo Ainsyah Murad and Najwa Irdina, both of whom played crucial roles in Malaysia’s impressive display.
Jordan struck first in the seventh minute when Marah Tayeh capitalised on a scramble inside the penalty area following a corner kick to give the hosts an early advantage.
Selangor forward Ainsyah Murad produced a moment of quality in the 18th minute, unleashing a stunning long-range strike that flew past goalkeeper Malk Shannak to level the score at 1-1.
The equaliser sparked confidence throughout the Malaysian side, who began to trouble the Jordanian defence with quick transitions and direct attacking football.
The turning point arrived midway through the first half as another Selangor star stepped into the spotlight.
Najwa Irdina completed Malaysia’s turnaround in the 25th minute with a composed finish before adding her second goal of the night in the 37th minute, giving the visitors a remarkable 3-1 lead.
The brace not only underlined the striker’s growing importance to the national team but also stunned the home crowd as Malaysia threatened to pull off a major upset against one of West Asia’s strongest women’s teams.
At halftime, the Malayan Tigress were firmly in control and dreaming of a famous international victory.
The hosts emerged from the break determined to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
Led by captain Maysa Jebarah, Jordan increased the tempo and gradually applied pressure on the Malaysian backline.
Their persistence paid off as Jebarah scored twice in the second half to erase Malaysia’s advantage and restore parity at 3-3.
Despite the setback, Malaysia continued to battle and looked capable of holding on for a valuable draw against significantly higher-ranked opposition.
Just as the match appeared destined to end level, substitute Roukayah Alfarajeh delivered the decisive blow.
Deep into stoppage time, Alfarajeh latched onto a well-worked attacking move before firing home the winning goal, breaking Malaysian hearts and sealing a narrow 4-3 victory for Jordan.
While the result ultimately went against them, Malaysia’s performance earned praise for its competitiveness and attacking ambition against a stronger opponent.
Although the Malayan Tigress left Amman empty-handed, there were plenty of encouraging signs from the encounter.
The attacking partnership of Ainsyah Murad and Najwa Irdina proved particularly impressive, contributing all three Malaysian goals and demonstrating the growing quality within the national setup.
More importantly, Malaysia showed they can compete with higher-ranked teams, a significant indicator of progress as the squad continues its long-term development.
The Malayan Tigress will now turn their attention to their next international friendly against the Palestine women’s national team on June 6 at Petra Stadium, where they will look to build on an encouraging display and convert their promising performance into a positive result.
Credit Photo : FAM
