India faced a setback against Malaysia in the opening game of the Festival of Independence, locally known as the Pestabola Merdeka. The final score saw Malaysia emerging victorious, securing their place in the finals.The game kicked off with an early stunner from Malaysia as Dion Cools found the net with an acrobatic kick, capitalizing on a well-placed corner in the 7th minute. India swiftly responded, with Mahesh Naorem unleashing a powerful volley from outside the box in the 12th minute, bringing the score level.However, in the 17th minute, Malaysia retook the lead as Nikhil Poojary conceded a foul inside the penalty box, resulting in Arif Aiman calmly converting the penalty. The first half concluded with Faisal Halim adding a third goal for Malaysia in the 41st minute.The second half witnessed India's resurgence, as Sunil Chhetri beautifully connected with a pass from Lallianzuala Chhangte to reduce the gap, finding the back of the net in the 50th minute. Despite India's efforts, Corbin-Ong extended Malaysia's lead to four with a goal in the 61st minute, sealing a victory for the Malaysian team.As it happened:
India faced a setback against Malaysia in the opening game of the Festival of Independence, locally known as the Pestabola Merdeka. The final score saw Malaysia emerging victorious, securing their place in the finals.The game kicked off with an early stunner from Malaysia as Dion Cools found the net with an acrobatic kick, capitalizing on a well-placed corner in the 7th minute. India swiftly responded, with Mahesh Naorem unleashing a powerful volley from outside the box in the 12th minute, bringing the score level.However, in the 17th minute, Malaysia retook the lead as Nikhil Poojary conceded a foul inside the penalty box, resulting in Arif Aiman calmly converting the penalty. The first half concluded with Faisal Halim adding a third goal for Malaysia in the 41st minute.The second half witnessed India's resurgence, as Sunil Chhetri beautifully connected with a pass from Lallianzuala Chhangte to reduce the gap, finding the back of the net in the 50th minute. Despite India's efforts, Corbin-Ong extended Malaysia's lead to four with a goal in the 61st minute, sealing a victory for the Malaysian team.As it happened: