Thailand U-22 have successfully defended their gold medal at the 2017 SEA Games men’s football following a 1-0 victory over hosts Malaysia.
A grave error from Malaysia goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli handed the Young War Elephants their 16th men’s football gold medal.
Haziq Nadzli looked in control when he jumped high to claim the ball from a corner, but the goalkeeper misjudged the ball’s path and punched it into his own net.
Malaysia’s defeat was similar to their loss in the 2001 SEA Games final, as the then goalkeeper Kamarulzaman Hassan had also deflected the ball into the back of the net.
Thailand started their SEA Games with a draw against Indonesia before edging out Timor Leste 1-0 in their second match. The War Elephants went on to win against the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam, before beating Myanmar 1-0 in the semi-final.