SEA GAMES 2011: REIGNING CHAMPS MALAYSIA STUMBLE IN OPENER

SENAYAN (7 Nov 2011) – Defending champions Malaysia stumbled in their opening match of the SEA Games football competition when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Singapore at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium here today. The Malaysians were seeking for a morale boosting win but the young Lions put up a brave fight to hold the reigning champions.

“We did not play well in the first 20 minutes. After that we controlled the match but we just could not score,” offered Ong Kim Swee, the chief coach of Malaysia.

Malaysia, drawn in the Group of Death along with Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia, wanted badly to collect full points today but were let down by poor finishing from their strikers. To the credit of the Singapore team, they performed remarkably to put the brakes on the Malaysia strikers.

The draw will certainly be good news for traditional SEA Games giants, Thailand and hosts Indonesia who are both eyeing the gold medal.

It was a somewhat scrappy first half as the players from both sides were unable to get their engines started. The young Lions and Tigers struggled to find their rhythm or maybe they were simply too cautious, concerned that any mistake could result in an early goal for the other side.

Singapore appeared to get their act on the road and soon launched into attack. They had their first look at goal in the 15th minute when Mohd Fazil Ayob weaved through the defence and let loose a stiff shot which Malaysian keeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat easily caught.

A freekick as a result of a foul by Singapore’s Safirul Sulaiman on Shukor Jusoh in the 24^th minute almost saw the Malaysians storm ahead. Skipper Baddrol Bakhtiar’s superb free kick was however caught by keeper Izwan.

Baddrol had another close look in the 35^th minute but this time his long range shot swerved to the right of the right post.

Singapore had their best chance four minutes from the break when the nippy Fazil slipped past three defenders and shot low. An alert Khairul went down to stop the shot.

In the 50^th minute, A. Thamil Arasu, after being set-up by Fandi Othman on the right, made his way to the touch line and neatly lobbed over the keeper but there were no takers at the other end of an open goal.

In the 56^th minute, the Malaysian bench were on their feet when Fandi was tackled in the box but the referee played for the game to continue.

As the game progressed the Malaysians began to take charge of the game and launch into attacking mode, in search of the elusive goal to get their defence on the road. In the 72^nd minute, Baddrol’s freekick, after Syahrul was brought down by Safuwan, was just off the mark.

While the Malaysians tried hard to score, the Singapore defence did well to stop their opponents from breaking through. Against the run of play, Neil Vanu broke down the right but his piercing cross, which had the Malaysian keeper beaten, rolled out of play.

In the 83^rd minute, Malaysia had a brilliant chance to score but Baddrol’s powerful first-timer from a rebound whizzed past the right post.

“Getting one point from the defending champions was good. And the players played with a lot of heart,” said Slobodan Pavkovic, the chief coach of Singapore.

SEA GAMES FIXTURES
GROUP A

DATE	MATCH			GROUP	KICK OFF	VENUE
07.11.2011	SINGAPORE 0	vs	MALAYSIA 0	A	1600 hrs	GELORA BUNG KARNO
	INDONESIA	vs	CAMBODIA		1900 hrs
08.11.2011	REST DAY
09.11.2011	MALAYSIA	vs	THAILAND	A	1600 hrs	GELORA BUNG KARNO
	CAMBODIA	vs	SINGAPORE		1900 hrs
10.11.2011	REST DAY
11.11.2011	SINGAPORE	vs	INDONESIA	A	1400 hrs	GELORA BUNG KARNO
	THAILAND	vs	CAMBODIA		1700 hrs
12-11.2011	REST DAY
13.11.2011	MALAYSIA	vs	CAMBODIA	A	1600 hrs	GELORA BUNG KARNO
	INDONESIA	vs	THAILAND		1900 hrs
14.11.2011	REST DAY