KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia whipped Laos 5-0 to register their second consecutive win in a AFF Cup Group B match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, and move to the top of the group.
Sensational striker Mohamad Faisal Halim continued his lethal form by striking twice in the second half, both via headers, after Naturalised player Sergio Aguero had given the host a first half lead while substitutes Muhammad Haqimi Azim Rosli and Stuart Wilkin added one each to complete the rout.
In the match that was watched by 29,961 fans, it was quite clear that head coach Kim Pan Gon wanted to rest some of the first choice players for the crucial match against Vietnam on Tuesday.
Malaysia had edged Myanmar 1-0 in their opening Group B match in Yangon on Wednesday.
Pan Gon listed only three first choice players, namely Sharul Nazeem Zulpakar, Mohamad Faisal and skipper Muhammad Safawi Rasid for today’s match since Laos are not seen as a formidable opponent.
The first half saw Pan Gon’s boys struggling to find their rhythm despite playing on home turf and managed only one attempt at goal after 20 minutes.
It took the home side 29 minutes for the strikers to break through a rather weak Laos defence when Aguero guided in a low cross from Mohd Nor Hakim Hassan.
Pan Gon brought in a number of substitutes in the second half and their introduction seemed to have injected new blood into the team as everyone engaged into an extra gear to start troubling the Laos defence.
The injection of Brendan Gan and Naturalised player Lee Tuck showed a lot of urgency in attack and Mohamad Faisal who scored the only goal against Myanmar on Wednesday, headed in a pin-point cross from Safawi in the 65th minute and buried another header three minutes later after another superb cross from Mohd Nor Hakim from the left.
That goal took his tally in the tournament to three.
In the 77th minute a defensive error by Anantaza Siphongphan saw Muhammad Haqimi slam in a thunderous volley into goal for Malaysia’s fourth goal of the night while Wilkin struck from outside the box in the 87th minute to make it 5-0 after a swift move from the left.
Meanwhile, in another Group B match played at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore, home side Singapore edged Myanmar 3-2 to collect all three points.
Ilhan Fandi (45th), Shah Shahiran (49th minute) and Shawal Anuar (74th minute) were Singapore’s goal scorers while Maung Lwin struck twice for Myanmar. - BERNAMA