PHNOM PENH: National men’s football under 22 (U-22) squad defensive mainstay Muhammad Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili was thanking his lucky stars last night that his SEA Games debut did not end up disastrously.
It could have been all too different for the 20-year-old Terengganu FC player after a mistake saw him scoring an own goal during Malaysia’s match again Laos in their opening Group B match. Ironically, this was just after he had given the squad a dream start with the lead in the 4th minute.
Muhammad Ubaidullah failed to make a clean clearance of Laos’ player Phetdavanh Somsanid’s cross in the 20th minute and the ball ended up at the back of national custodian Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman’s net for Laos to draw level.
Muhammad Ubaidullah said it was a good thing Malaysia went on to chalk a 5-1 win, or otherwise, he would have gotten some stick for the mistake.
“Extremely relieved, or else I would have been at the receiving end of some harsh words if we had lost, my teammates told me so as well, so the win to a certain extent covered up my mistake.
“I am grateful to have had teammates and coaches who kept on backing me until the end. It was a learning experience,” he said after the match played at Prince Stadium here.
The Harimau Muda squad under the reigns of E. Elavarasan, however, went on to score four more goals, two through substitutes Muhammad Syahir Bashah and Muhammad Najmudin Akmal, and two more from own goals by Anantaza Siphongphan and Phoutthavong Sangvilay.
“Opening matches are always difficult but we have wrapped up the win to motivate us for our games ahead. I consider this a good start,” Muhammad Ubaidullah said.
Malaysia will play Thailand next, also at Prince Stadium, on Saturday.
Malaysia and Thailand sit second and third in Group B so far, after securing three points from their opening matches, while Singapore and Laos make up the bottom two teams after suffering two straight defeats.
Defending champions Vietnam top Group B with six full points from their opening two matches. – BERNAMA
