Man of the Match: Yemen 1-2 Malaysia

Man of the Match: Yemen 1-2 Malaysia

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Going into this match, Malaysia still stood a chance to qualify for the Asian Cup Finals in Australia, albeit a very slim one. Big win was needed, coupled with favourable results elsewhere.

However, the slim hope was made even tougher in the opening period when Amirizdwan Taj was sent off for committing a last man offence. From that moment on, defending was the name of the game and Khairul Fahmi stood out like a shining beacon of hope.

The Kelantan goalkeeper pick the right side to dive and saved the subsequent penalty kick. He would be tested a few more times throughout the first half but he repelled shots after shots, showing tremendous agility and good positioning.

Yemen increased the pressure in the second half but Khairul Fahmi stood firm. Even when he was beaten by Al-Sasi's header, the post was there to his rescue. It was a defensive lapse started by Zubir Azmi giving the ball away cheaply that led to Yemen drawing level and Khairul certainly can't be faulted for that.

In the end, Malaysia hung on for the win and Ong Kim Swee will be thankful that on the day when it was needed, Khairul Fahmi served a reminder that he's still one of best in the country between the sticks.