Malaysia, Myanmar post good start at SEA Games soccer competition
Malaysia, Myanmar post good start at SEA Games soccer competition
Agence France-Presse Hanoi
Malaysia crushed Cambodia 8-1 on Saturday in Ho Chi Minh City's Thong Nhat Stadium in the opening game of the 22nd Southeast Asian Games' soccer competition, while Myanmar defeated Singapore 2-0.
The Malaysian team demolished its opponent with goals by Yosri Raju (15), Putra (45), Muhammad Juzaili (55), Akmal Rizai (49, 51, 80) and Rajan Koran (68, 74).
Cambodia managed to score once, with a goal by Ung Kanyanith (87).
Myanmar surprised the crowds with a 2-0 upset over Singapore, with one goal each by Soe Myat Min (33) and Htay Aung (64).
The Southeast Asian games will officially start next Friday but the soccer competition, the drawing card of the 32 medal sporting event, kicked off on Saturday.
Group A team matches have been heavily anticipated.
Ticket prices for Sunday's clash in Hanoi between soccer-mad Vietnam and defending champion Thailand had soared to as high as US$50 on the blackmarket by mid-week and have kept rising since.
The game will take place at the My Dinh National Stadium, just after the match between Indonesia and Laos, which also find themselves in the "group of death".
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals. The final is due to take place on Dec. 12.
Vietnam is hosting the Southeast Asian Games for the first time. More than 5,700 athletes from 11 countries in the region are due to compete.
In Damascus, Turkmenistan clinched the last qualifying place available for the 2004 Asian Cup finals with a 1-1 draw against Syria here on Friday.
Turkmenistan ensured its place among the 16 finalists in China as Group G runner-up behind the United Arab Emirates, which booked its ticket with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka earlier in the week.
Syria had taken the lead after 10 minutes when Anas Sari finished off a good move but Turkmenistan was back level six minutes later with a great individual effort by striker Didarklych Urazov.
Despite intense Syria pressure in the visitors' half, the host was unable to wrest back the advantage although substitute Jihad Husseins powerful header was only kept out by a deft save from Turkmenistan keeper Yevgeny Naboychenko.
Turkmenistan joins host China and holder Japan which were already guaranteed places while Uzbekistan, Thailand, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Jordan, Iran, Oman, South Korea, Iraq, Bahrain and UAE have also made it through qualifying.