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Malaysia gave a rousing start to their campaign in Group A of the men’s football event when they thrashed Timor Leste 11-0 in the first official competitive match that was played at the Main Stadium of the National Sports Complex. For Timor Leste, they just can’t seem to pull things together as captain Joao Paulo Da Silva tried hard to push forward but without support, he was not going to get far. The afternoon heat did not seem to bother the Malaysians one bit as they started off strongly by scoring their first goal of the game through Norshahrul Idlan Talaha in the third minute off a long pass from captain Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak.

They then doubled their lead in the 12th minute when off a Ahmad Fakri Saarani’s cross from the right, the waiting Badrol Bakhtiar blasted it home. The two goals gave the Malaysians the impetus to slow down the game somewhat but it did not in any way hinder their desire for more goals.

Striker Mohd Aidil Zaquan Abdul Razak grabbed the third goal of the game in the 15th minute, as Safiq Rahim then made the score sheet with the fourth in the 28th minute. Two minutes later, Norshahrul then scored his second of the evening as Ahmad Fakri beat the offside trap in the 41st minute for the Malaysians to take a 6-0 lead at the half.

The break step off the gas in the second half with head coach K. Rajagobal making several substitutions.

They only got going with further goals only in the 58th minute when Aidil Zafuan headed in the corner from Safiq before Ahmad Fakri completed his hat-trick with two quick strikes in the 76th and 77th minute to put the Malaysians 9-0 in front.

Substitute Amirulhadi Zainal (80th minute) and Amar Rohidan (90th minute) then got into the scoring act with two goals in the closing stages for the final scoreline.

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