Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Terengganu: Afghanistan recorded a 5-3 rollercoaster win over hosts Malaysia in Group A of the AFC Beach Soccer Championship 2017 in Kuala Terengganu on Saturday.
It was the Afghans who drew first blood through Hazrat Gul Baran’s opener on five minutes but barely sixty seconds later Qushairie Asaari notched an equaliser for the debutants courtesy of a fine free-kick.
Afghanistan regrouped however and scored a second through skipper Zainuddin Sharifi (pictured centre), before Raof Qaderi further extended his side’s lead in the 28th minute and again just two minutes later.
Qushairie gave Malaysia a glimmer of hope when he reduced the deficit, only to see Qaderi complete an impressive hat-trick a minute later.
Khairul Nizam’s late free-kick proved a case of too little too late for Ismail Zakaria’s side as Afghanistan sealed all three points to go second in Group A following Bahrain’s earlier 5-0 thumping of China.
The top three finishers at the AFC Beach Soccer Championship will represent Asia at the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in in Nassau, Bahamas from April 27 to May 7.
Photo: AFC