From Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif
JAKARTA, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Striker Fergus Tierney hopes Malaysia’s 1-0 win over Vietnam will serve as a springboard for the Harimau Malaya to maintain their positive momentum after he scored the winning goal in the third-place playoff of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup here last night.
Fergus was delighted to score the winning goal of the match, played at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, especially after coming on as a substitute.
The 23-year-old scored the only goal of the match shortly after coming on in the second half to ensure Malaysia ended their campaign in the inaugural tournament with a victory.
“When I came on, I really wanted to make an impact on the match. I think that might have been my first touch in the game.
“I’m really happy that I could help the team and I’m very happy at this moment. I hope we can maintain this momentum as a team,” said the Cyprus-based PAC Omonia 29M player at a post-match press conference after the match.
The victory over Vietnam also ended Malaysia’s 12-year winless run against the team, with the national side’s last victory coming in the second leg of the 2014 AFF Cup semi-final.
The squad coached by interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe also ended the tournament unbeaten and without conceding a goal, with three wins and one draw in four matches.
Malaysia opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Bangladesh before being held to a goalless draw by Indonesia, followed by a resounding 6-0 victory over Singapore.
However, the Harimau Malaya squad missed out on a place in the final on goals scored after finishing the Division 1 Group A campaign level on points and goal difference with the hosts.
-- BERNAMA