Malaysia Hold Mighty South Korea To Dramatic 3-3 Draw
South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann said two of Malaysia's goals should not have been allowed.
By Adrian Lai — 26 Jan 2024, 12:09 PM
Despite having been eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup, Malaysia put on a dazzling performance against powerhouses South Korea last night
With their fate already sealed ahead of their last match in Group E, Malaysia had little to play for but pride. Nonetheless, the Harimau Malaya bowed out of the competition with dignity, holding the world No. 23 to a gripping 3-3 draw after a dramatic equaliser in the 15th minute of injury time.
Malaysia's campaign on Asia's biggest football stage, the country's first since 2007, began on the wrong foot after a 4-0 pummeling by Jordan, followed by a heart-wrenching defeat to Bahrain, where they conceded a goal in the 95th minute.
Another defeat was in the offing after South Korea's Jeong Woo-Yeong netted a header in the 21st minute. The goal had to be confirmed by VAR review after a splendid attempt by Malaysia goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi to stop the ball from crossing the line.
Malaysia came back swinging by equalising six minutes after the start of the second half, thanks to a stroke of brilliance by Malaysia winger Faisal Abdul Halim, who caught opposing goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-Woo off-guard by clipping the ball towards the goal.
Malaysia, ranked 130 in the world, defied the odds by leading the scoreline in the 62nd minute as Arif Aiman converted a penalty after being fouled in the box.
On the verge of a humiliating defeat, South Korea bounced back after Lee Kang-In scored with a sublime freekick, which saw the ball coming off the bar and rebounding off Syihan's gloves into goal.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, South Korea's star player Song Heung-Min converted a spot kick, giving his team a 3-2 lead and a potential face-saving victory.
But the most dramatic ending came in the 15th minute of injury time after Malaysia substitute Romel Morales fired home a heart-stopping shot from the edge of the box to level the match at 3-3.
Malaysia coach Kim Pan Gon is elated over Harimau Malaya's stunning result against his country of birth
"I'm proud of all the players. In the first half, we struggled but in the second half, we came back. It was an amazing performance and result. South Korea have quality and were strong in ball possession.
"We tasted top level [football], we smelt it, we dealt with the fear, we gained a lot and there is plenty to go for the next step," Kim was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
Meanwhile, South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann was upset with some of the decisions made by Saudi Arabian referee Khalid Saleh Al Turais.
"I'm a bit angry. I felt that two of the three goals shouldn't be given. But these things happen. I feel we could have done better in defensive transition," said Klinsmann, who helped West Germany win the 1990 World Cup.
