Malaysia U-20 women’s national team suffered a tough start to their AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifying campaign, falling 3-0 to a clinical Iran side in their Group F opening match at KLFA Stadium, Cheras tonight.
Despite a promising start, the Malaysian Tigress, led by goalkeeper Diana Syafiqah and captain Nur Dhiyaa Addin Zahari, were ultimately undone by sharp finishing from the Iranian forwards — particularly standout striker Maryam Dini, who scored a brace in the first half.
Malaysia came out strong, dominating the first 10 minutes with several aggressive attacks spearheaded by forward Kaseh Carlmila. However, despite early momentum and crowd support, the home side couldn’t find the finishing touch to beat Iranian goalkeeper Atena Tofigh.
Iran weathered the storm and struck back, capitalizing on a Malaysian defensive lapse. Maryam Dini, wearing the No. 9 shirt, opened the scoring with a composed finish — catching the Tigress off-guard and shifting the game’s momentum.
Just 17 minutes later, Dini doubled Iran’s lead in the 27th minute, clinically converting her second goal of the night and leaving the Malaysian defense reeling.
Malaysia thought they had pulled one back before halftime, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call. The first half ended with Iran leading 2-0.
In the second half, the Tigress came out determined and earned a penalty early on after a reckless challenge by an Iranian defender in the box. Unfortunately, the spot-kick was saved, allowing Iran to maintain their two-goal cushion.
Despite sustained pressure and a few close chances, the Malaysian side couldn’t convert, and their frustration continued to grow as the minutes ticked by.
Iran put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, as defender Asal Ghajarian netted Iran’s third goal, sealing all three points for the Shirzanan (Iranian women’s team) and leaving Malaysia with plenty to reflect on ahead of their next two fixtures.
The match ended 3-0 in Iran’s favour, a result that positions them strongly in Group F.
Malaysia will now need to regroup quickly as they prepare for a formidable test against Japan on August 8 (Friday), followed by their final group match against Guam on August 10 (Sunday).
Only the eight group winners and three best runners-up will advance to the 2026 AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup final tournament in Thailand, scheduled from April 1 to 18, 2026.
Credit Photo : FAM
