Unhappy China fans demand refunds after Harimau Malaya draw

KUALA LUMPUR: It was a scene of utter humiliation for China, and their fans voiced their discontent from the stands, even going as far as demanding ticket refunds after witnessing a surprising 1-1 draw against world No. 136 Malaysia at the Phoenix Stadium in Chengdu.

Harimau Malaya silenced the home fans with Faisal Halim's 11th-minute goal. However, China, ranked 80th in the world, managed to equalise through Lin Liangming in the 37th minute.

The China fans booed at their team and yelled "Refund" after the final whistle.

National coach Kim Pan Gon, acknowledging China's strength, said: "China are a formidable team. While we faced challenges with open play, we adapted well, and sometimes a bit of luck comes into play.

"I'm proud of the fighting spirit displayed by our team."Pan Gon hopes his team will extract valuable lessons from this match before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers scheduled to commence in November.

Meanwhile, China coach Aleksandar Jankovic extended an apology to the home fans for the disappointing draw.

"Honestly, we did not deserve to win the game. The fans showed tremendous support, and I deeply regret that we couldn't live up to their expectations.

"It was a challenging match, particularly in the first half, where we performed poorly. We were fortunate not to concede two or three goals."