KUALA LUMPUR – Chinese fans are demanding a refund following their national team’s disappointing draw against Malaysia in their recent top-tier international friendly match.
The game, held at the Phoenix Hill Sports Complex in Chengdu, which has a seating capacity of 60,000 people, left 42,200 home supporters feeling let down.
Their disappointment stemmed from the fact that despite the vast disparity in FIFA rankings between the two teams – China is ranked 80th, while Malaysia is 136th – the local Dragons could only manage a draw against Harimau Malaya.
In a video tweet by China Sports Vision 2050, Chinese fans voiced their frustration by booing their team and shouting “refund” in the middle of the game.
The discontent continued even after the draw was announced in the stadium, as fans criticised the players’ performance and demanded a refund of their ticket expenses.
Another video tweet by China Sports Vision 2050 showed fans having a verbal altercation with assistant coach Zheng Zhi, who had previously played for Charlton Athletic and Celtic FC between 2007 and 2010.
Malaysia managed a commendable 1-1 friendly draw against China yesterday.
Harimau Malaya struck first in the 11th minute with Faisal Halim’s 22-yard shot after a defensive error by China’s Zhang Linpeng.
The Selangor winger beat Chinese goalkeeper Yan Junling, thus netting his 11th international goal in 24 appearances for the national team.
Meanwhile, the Dragons equalised in the 36th minute with Lin Liangming’s curler.
China came close to scoring a second goal in the 40th and 44th minutes, with attempts from Li Shuai and Deng Han Wen testing the Malaysian defence.
The match also saw nine minutes of second-half injury time being played.
This result ensured that Malaysia gained an additional +1.93 FIFA points after successfully earning +1.4 after their 2-2 draw against Syria on Wednesday.
Kim Pan-gon’s men will next participate in the 42nd edition of the Pestabola Merdeka tournament, which is set to take place from October 13 to 17 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here.
Malaysia will face Palestine, India, and Tajikistan in the tournament. – September 10, 2023