Malaysia opened their AFC U-19 Championship qualification campaign with a 5-4 win over hosts Cambodia, in a madcap encounter that saw two Malaysian players sent off in quick succession.
Head coach Brad Maloney's charges ended the first half with a commanding 3-0 lead, goals by Shafi Azswad (30’) Fakrul Iman (40’) and Azrin Afiq (43’) putting them comfortably in front.
But an incident near the hour mark led to not just one, but two Malaysia players being sent off, which very nearly undid their hardwork.
Zikri Khalil was shown a straight red by referee Kurbanov Charymurat for bringing down an opposition as the last man, and when midfielder Mukhairi Ajmal attempted to stand up for him, he ended up with a second yellow, and a sending off himself.