Bahrain’s defender Abdullah Al Khalasi celebrates after teammate Ali Madan (second right) scored a goal against Malaysia. AFP
Doha, Qatar: Ali Madan emerged as the hero for Bahrain, scoring in the final seconds to secure a 1-0 victory over Malaysia in a thrilling Group E clash, yesterday.
The victory at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium boosted Bahrain’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, setting the stage for a crucial encounter against Jordan on Thursday.
Their victory, however, dashed Malaysia’s hopes in the tournament after they were left without a point from two matches.
Bahrain coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said his team deserved to win.
“We knew it would be difficult and expected this when we analysed the team, but I think it was deserving,” Pizzi, who took over the reins of Bahrain last year, said.
Despite the Asian Cup heartbreak, Malaysia coach Kim Pan-gon refused to blame his players.
“Nothing went wrong. This is the level we are at,” a disappointed Pan-Gon said during the post-match press conference.
“Maybe I’m the wrong coach? Maybe I placed too many expectations and gave too much hope to the public and the players,” the 53-year-old South Korean said.
Pan-Gon implemented significant changes for yesterday’s clash, reshuffling the defensive lineup with Dominic Tan and Shahrul Saad while Corbin Ong and Mattew Davies added an extra layer of defense to withstand Bahrain’s attack.
Bahrain looked dominant earlier on, but Malaysia showcased resilience. Malaysia’s Faisal Halim created a chance for Arif Aiman, but Bahrain’s goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfallah thwarted the attempt.
In the 20th minute, Paulo Josue delivered a cross to Arif, but the latter failed to tap in. Bahrain’s Komail Al Aswad almost broke the deadlock in the 31st minute, but only to see Dominic Tan pushing it away.
Upon return from the break, Bahrain intensified their attacks, but several attempts by Abdullah Al Hashash, Al Aswad, and Madan were foiled while Abdulla Yusuf Helal missed a header in the 56th minute.
As the match entered its closing minutes, both teams had chances to score. Malaysia almost added one through Matthew Davies who received a cross from substitute Akhyar Rashid, while Bahrain’s Ali Hasan Isa’s attempt was saved by the Malaysian custodian.
Bahrain’s efforts finally paid off when Madan seized an opportunity from a corner in the fifth minute of added time as his left-footed kick beat Syihan Hazmi, securing full points for the West Asian side.
