Jakarta, MINA – A ten-man Indonesian squad managed to avoid defeat as Malaysia relentlessly besieged and bombarded the Garuda defense during the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 Division 1 match.
Earlier, in the first half of the heated clash at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on Monday night, Indonesia was reduced to ten men after Thom Haye was shown a red card in the 36th minute.
The score remained 0-0 at halftime.
The match heated up again in the second half when Malaysian player Arif Aiman (10) fouled Dean James (21), sparking tension between the players. The referee issued a yellow card to Arif.
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In the 63rd minute, Malaysia threatened through a header by Paulo Josue (19), who won an aerial duel in front of the goal; however, the ball sailed just over the crossbar.
The Harimau Malaya (Malaya Tigers) squad continued to batter the Indonesian defense, with goalkeeper Maarten Paes and other Indonesian players making several crucial saves.
Arif Aiman took a shot in the 71st minute, but it went wide.
Fergus Tierney (13), having just entered the pitch, immediately posed a threat in front of the goal in the 74th minute; pressure from Elkan Baggott (20) caused Tierney’s shot to go narrowly off target.
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Malaysia pinned Indonesia back with sustained possession, searching for gaps in the defense guarded by Maarten Paes and his teammates.
In stoppage time, goalkeeper Maarten Paes made a brilliant save by punching away a ball destined for a Malaysian player’s header. He subsequently successfully gathered a shot from Paulo Josue (19) in the following minute.
Justin Hubner (23) also made a crucial defensive intervention during a Malaysian corner-kick routine. Positioned beneath the crossbar, he acted as a defensive bulwark, stopping the ball from entering the net after goalkeeper Maarten Paes had failed to keep it out.
Malaysia’s efforts were completely thwarted by Indonesia’s solid defense. Indonesia managed to avoid defeat despite facing a relentless barrage of attacks, and the match ended in a 0–0 draw.
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Indonesia and Malaysia shared the points, leaving the standings unchanged; Malaysia remains at the top of Group A, while Indonesia sits in second place with an identical points tally.
Indonesia’s hopes now hinge on their third match against Bangladesh, while Malaysia is set to face Singapore. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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