Malaysia's players celebrate scoring during the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 group B match between Myanmar and Malaysia at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, Dec. 21, 2022. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/ Xinhua)
YANGON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's men's national football team staged its first international match on home turf in around three years in a 1-0 loss to Malaysia on Wednesday for 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship.
"Today's match is our team's first international match on home turf since the start of COVID-19. We arranged the match in line with AFF's security and health guidelines," U Ko Ko Thein, general secretary of the Myanmar Football Federation, told Xinhua.
At Yangon's Thuwunna Stadium, Muhammad Faisal bin Abdul Halim's sole goal in the 52nd minute helped Malaysia beat Myanmar in Group B of the AFF Championship.
Vietnam beat Laos 6-0 in the other Group B match on Wednesday.
The AFF Championship, officially the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, is a biennial football competition organized by the AFF. First played in 1996, the tournament's 14th edition in 2022 will continue the format where 10 qualified teams are split into two groups of five and play in a round-robin system. ■
Mg Mg Lwin (top L) of Myanmar vies for a header during the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 group B match between Myanmar and Malaysia at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, Dec. 21, 2022. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/ Xinhua)
Hein Htet Aung (C) of Myanmar shoots during the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 group B match between Myanmar and Malaysia at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, Dec. 21, 2022.(Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/ Xinhua)
