KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- The national men’s youth futsal squad did not return home empty-handed as the young squad secured third place at the 2025 ASEAN Under-19 (U-19) Futsal Championship after defeating Vietnam 4-3 in a penalty shootout in Bangkok, Thailand today.
In a hard-fought third-place play-off, the winner had to be decided by penalties after the match ended in a 2-2 draw. The national squad showed great resilience, coming back from behind twice to change the course of the game.
Vietnam initially led 1-0 in the first half following a goal by Nguyen Truong Hoang Long in the fifth minute. Malaysia, under the guidance of coach Rakphol Sainetngam, eventually found the equaliser through Iqbal Hazim Radzi in the 39th minute.
High drama unfolded in the final moments of the match when Nguyen Thac Hieu scored Vietnam's second goal in the 40th minute. However, Malaysia leveled the score once again through Aidil Zakwan just seconds later.
For the record, the ASEAN U-19 Futsal Championship was organised for the first time alongside the Under-16 (U-16) age-group competition.
--BERNAMA
