Hosts Indonesia were in action for the second time last night with a 2-1 loss to Palestine, while Malaysia kicked off their campaign in style with a 3-1 win over Kyrgyzstan.
After a 4-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the tournament’s opening round, many fans expected Indonesia to continue their run when they faced Palestine in Group A. The friendly relations between the two nations was clear for all to see in the environment and atmosphere of the game, due to the two nations’ common values and stance on key issues concerning Palestine’s recognition as a nation state.
The two teams put aside their nations’ cordial relations for 90 minutes and played out a crucial battle for supremacy in Group A, which the hosts eventually lost thanks to goals from Oday Dabbagh and Mohamed Darwish either side of an Irfan Jaya equalizer. The three points put Palestine within touching distance of qualification, as they now remain unbeaten and sit atop their group after three matches.
Malaysia got off to a flying start with their victory over Kyrgyzstan. Safawi Rasid, Akhyar Rashid, and Syafiq Ahad were all on the scoresheet for the South East Asian side as they looked to build upon their impressive run to the Quarter Finals at the 2018 AFC U23 Championships in China earlier this year.
Elsewhere, South East Asian side Myanmar kick-started their campaign with a respectable 1-1 draw with last years’ silver medalists North Korea, with 18-year-old Lwin Moe Aung finding the net despite being one of the youngest players at the tournament.