Ouch! India’s U23 footballers didn’t get the result they wanted in their first friendly against Malaysia. The match went down on Friday, March 22nd at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.
Malaysia on the Front Foot
Malaysia came out strong and grabbed the lead early on with a goal by Saravanan Thirumurgan in the 33rd minute. Things got even tougher for India after halftime when Malaysia scored again just a few minutes in (goal by Muhamad Alif Zikri Bin Zaini Anuar).
India Fights Back, But Not Quite Enough
The Indian team, coached by Naushad Moosa, didn’t give up without a fight. Chingamgbam Shivaldo Singh managed to pull one back for India in the 78th minute, but it wasn’t enough to steal a draw.
India Under-23 Men’s National Team went down to hosts Malaysia Under-23 National Team 1-2 in the first of the two friendly matches at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.#IndianFootball
Pic – AIFF pic.twitter.com/wnCIRH7old— kolkatafootball.com (@Kol_Football) March 22, 2024
Second Chance on Monday!
No worries though, there’s another chance for India to take on Malaysia in a second friendly match on Monday, March 25th at the same stadium! Hopefully, the boys in blue can bounce back and get a win this time around!