KUALA LUMPUR – China proved to be Malaysia’s Achilles’ heel in the Asian Champions Trophy after crushing their dreams of a semi-final spot.
China dispatched two-time runners-up Japan with a 2-0 victory, with their goals coming from Chen Benhai and Chao Jieming. The win cemented China’s place in the top four, alongside India, Pakistan, and South Korea.
For Malaysia, the outcome was a bitter blow, following their hard-fought 3-3 draw against South Korea.
At the end of the round-robin stage, China accumulated a total of six points, narrowly surpassing Malaysia’s five points, ending The Speedy Tigers’ campaign.
National coach Sarjit Singh praised his team’s fighting spirit but questioned the referee’s controversial decision to award South Korea a last-minute penalty corner, which allowed Yang Jihun to net a dramatic equaliser.
“Honestly, we deserved to win. The players gave everything on the field. They played exceptionally well from the second quarter onwards.
“That last penalty corner given to South Korea remains a point of contention for us, but we can’t change it. The umpire has the final say, and their decision stands.
“We have to accept it and take this as a lesson moving forward.
“We’ll keep pushing and preparing for the next game. Our final standings depended on the result between China and Japan,” said Sarjit after the match against South Korea.”
Jihun also scored the opening goal in this match, followed by a goal from Park Cheoleon, while Malaysia’s goals came from Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal, Norsyafiq Sumantri, and Faizal Saari.
This is not the first time Malaysia failed to reach the semi-finals of the Asian Champions Trophy, having faced a similar disappointment in the 2021 edition.
However, this time the failure is even harder to swallow, as Malaysia entered the tournament as the runners-up from the previous edition.
The Speedy Tigers still have a chance to redeem themselves when they face Japan on Monday in the fifth and sixth place playoff. – September 14, 2024.