Malaysia Women’s National Team earned first 3 points after beating Palestine Women’s National Team scoring 1-0 in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers Group H at Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe,
With both teams eyeing a crucial three points in their tournament opener, Malayan Tigress head coach Joel Cornelli fielded his strongest lineup featuring the likes of Steffi Sarge, Azurin Mazlan, and Intan Sarah.
The match was evenly contested, with Malaysia and Palestine trading attacking moves early on. Intan Sarah came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening minutes, but her effort went narrowly wide of the post.
In the 24th minute, Palestine were handed a golden opportunity when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Azurin Mazlan stood tall, brilliantly denying Dima Alrumhi to keep the scores level.
The first half ended goalless, but the intensity remained high after the break. Both sides pushed forward in search of a winner, with close chances keeping the match on a knife’s edge.
Just when it looked destined for a draw, Farahiyah Ridzuan, who had come on as a substitute, emerged as Malaysia’s hero. In the 85th minute, she latched onto a sublime pass from Nur Adrienna and calmly slotted home the only goal of the match.
The final whistle at Central Stadium confirmed a valuable 1-0 victory for Malaysia, giving them a strong start in their quest for qualification to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
Malaysia will next face hosts Tajikistan in what promises to be another challenging encounter, while Palestine must regroup quickly as they prepare to take on world No. 9 North Korea on July 2.
Credit Photo : FAM
