KUALA LUMPUR: The national football team claimed its first win this year after beating Laos 3-1 in a friendly international match in Bangkok today.
Having failed to win any of their previous seven matches, Malaysia claimed a morale-boosting victory ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Timor Leste in Dili thanks to a double strike by Christie Jayaseelan and an Azamuddin Akil goal in the second half.
The win means that Datuk Ong Kim Swee, with the exception of the abandoned World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia last month, has yet to lose a match having overseen four completed matches in two separate stints as national caretaker coach.
Ong made five changes to the side which gave Saudi Arabia a scare on Sept 8 before crowd trouble at the Shah Alam Stadium led to the game being abandoned two minutes from full-time with the visitors leading 2-1.
Against Laos, in came goalkeeper Khairul Azhan Khalid, former national captain Aidil Zafuan Radzak, left-back Zubir Azmi, striker Safee Sali and winger Jayaseelan.
Jayaseelan marked just his second start in three international appearances for Malaysia by opening the scoring five minutes into the second half before claiming a second goal with a fine individual effort in stoppage-time.
Azamuddin Akil made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute for his fifth international goal with a deflected striker before Sitthideth Khanthavong reduced the arrears with a penalty for Laos eight minutes from time.
Safee squandered a chance to add to his 23 goals for the country when he sent a spot-kick wide just a minute before Jayaseelan's second goal secured Malaysia's 10th win over Laos in 16 meetings.
However, Malaysia's win was tempered by concern over an injury which forced centre-back Fadhli Shas off the field after 10 minutes, to be replaced by Felda United's Shahrul Saad for his international debut.
The national team fly to Dili tomorrow for the Asian Zone second round Group A match against Timor Leste, who produced a fine 1-1 home draw against Palestine in their World Cup qualifier today.
MALAYSIA - Khairul Azhan Khalid (Izham Tarmizi Roslan, 46th); Matthew Davies (Nazirul Naim Che Hashim, 61st), Aidil Zafuan Radzak, Fadhli Shas (Shahrul Saad, 10th), Zubir Azmi (S. Kunanlan, 61st); Azamuddin Akil (Ahmad Hazwan Bakri, 77th), Baddrol Bakhtiar, Safiq Rahim (Ismail Faruqi Ashari, 61st), Christie Jayaseelan; Amri Yahyah, Safee Sali.