KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya made a rousing start to their pre-World Cup campaign by upstaging Kyrgyzstan 4-3 in their Group D opener at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
World No. 137 Malaysia started as the underdogs against the White Falcons who are ranked 40 places above them.
But that did little to intimidate Kim Pan Gon's men who gave the 17,142 fans much to cheer as early as the seventh minute when Dion Cools gave Malaysia an early lead with a header.
But Malaysia were unlucky to concede a goal in the 42nd minute after custodian Syihan Hazmi superbly stopped two Kyrgyz shots before he was beaten by Kairat Zhyrgalbek.
Before the halftime break, Kyrgyzstan took a 2-1 lead when Ernist Batyrkanov shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
The start of the second half saw the Central Asian team extend their lead to 3-1 with a goal by Merk Kai who had come in for Mamyraliev Suiuntbek in the 45th minute.
But Harimau Malaya kept fighting and were rewarded when winger Arif Aiman Hanapi pressured Kyrgyzstan's Khristiian Brauzman. and this led to the latter scoring an own goal in the 72nd minute.
And defender Cools put Malaysia back in the game with a 77th minute leveller.
Malaysia scripted an amazing ending to the roller-coaster match with a stoppage time winner from Faisal Halim.