Sabah’s Muhd Ibnu Kasim (left) tackles Kedah‘s Mohd Faiz Subri during their match yesterday. Pic: HAIRUL ANUAR ABD RAHIM.
KEDAH and Selangor laid down a marker for the gold medal in contrasting styles with opening day wins in the football competition of the Malaysia Games at the Gong Badak Sports Complex yesterday.
While Selangor ran out 3-0 winners over Kelantan, a dogged Sabah gave Kedah a few scares before going down 3-2 in Group D.
Kedah appeared to be cruising after Bunyamin Omar and Hazwan Zainun easily sprang the Sabah offside trap to score in the 25th and 35th minutes respectively.
Sabah narrowed the deficit in the 51st minute through a penalty by Azrul Ejati but Kedah replied through a penalty of their own five minutes later after a Sabah defender handled in the box.
Bunyamin beat goalkeeper Abdul Hamid Hadi to his left for a 3-1 Kedah lead before they were made to endure a nervous final five minutes when Muhd Ibnu Kassim tapped in from a cross by Mohd Farid.
Selangor outgunned a theatrical Kelantan side with goals by Fitri Shazwan (40th), Zaiza Zainal (51st) and Alafi Mahmud (65th) while the closest Kelantan came to scoring was when Fairul Afikin’s free kick thundered against the crossbar midway through the first half.
Ahmad Nordin Alias scored deep into injury time as hosts Terengganu battled their way to a 3-2 win over Perak in a Group A match at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium.
Ashari Samsudin (11th) and Ismail Faruqi Ashaari (31st) set Terengganu on their way but Perak drew level late on through an own goal by Ashari (76th) and Shahrizal Saad (81st).
Negri Sembilan won a bitterly-fought derby with Malacca 1-0 courtesy of Shaharain Abdul Samah’s 43rd minute strike in a Group C match which saw nine yellow cards flashed by the referee including six shown to Negri players.
The Federal Territories edged Perlis 1-0 in another Group C encounter with P. Sumindren netting the winner in the 81st minute, while Penang were also off to a winning start in Group D as goals by Khairul Azri Jamal Haziq (31st) and Mohd Failee Ghazali (69th) earned them a 2-1 win over Sarawak, who pulled one back through Rafizan Razali in the 81st.
RESULTS — Group A: Terenggganu 3 Perak 2; Group B: Kedah 3 Sabah 2; Selangor 3 Kelantan 0; Group C: Negri Sembilan 1 Malacca 0; Federal Territories 1 Perlis 0; Group D: Penang 2 Sarawak 1; Johor 1 Brunei 0.
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