KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya continued their winning ways under coach Peter Cklamovski after they edged Singapore 2-1 in a Causeway derby friendly at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Thursday.
World No. 125 Malaysia struck in the 26th minute when Endrick dos Santos chipped a ball into the box for Stuart Wilkin, who slotted it past Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud.
Joao Figueiredo doubled the lead for Harimau Malaya in the 55th minute, pouncing on a defensive lapse to score with a simple finish.
Just when it seemed Malaysia would cruise to victory, Singapore interim coach Gavin Lee turned to his bench and on came Ilhan Fandi in the 71st minute for his brother Ikhsan.
He wasted little time in making his mark.
The Buriram United striker scored barely a minute later, producing a sharp half-turn before rifling a shot past Haziq Nadzli in the 72nd minute to halve the deficit.
However, that was Singapore’s only breakthrough, as Malaysia’s backline held firm under late pressure to secure the win.
Singapore, ranked world No. 159, last beat Malaysia on March 26, 2022, with a 2-1 victory at home during the FAS Tri-Nations Series.
The teams met again in the AFF Championship in December 2024, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Malaysia have now gone two consecutive international friendlies without defeat against Singapore, with a 4-1 win in January 2023 followed by Thursday’s 2-1 result.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
