KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia were punished for defensive lapses, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Japan in the Junior Asia Cup third-place playoff in Muscat today.
The defeat saw Malaysia, ranked 11th in the world junior rankings, fail to live up to their status as the third highest ranked team in Asia.
World No. 18 Japan made the most of Malaysia's frailties at the back, scoring twice in the opening quarter.
Tsubasa Tanaka opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a dazzling solo effort, beating two defenders before calmly slotting past goalkeeper Rafaizul Saini.
Just two minutes later, Yuma Fujiwara pounced on poor defending to fire in Japan's second from close range.
Malaysia managed to pull one back in the 23rd minute, with Harris Iskandar Osman converting a penalty corner. Despite carving out further opportunities, poor finishing left the Young Tigers unable to find an equaliser.
Meanwhile, Thailand, led by Malaysian coach Tai Beng Hai, created history by securing their first-ever Junior World Cup (JWC) spot.
Ranked 40th in the world, Thailand stunned 12th-ranked South Korea with a dramatic 3-2 victory in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The 2025 Junior World Cup will feature hosts India, Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, China and debutants Thailand.