Bangladesh go down 3-0 to Malaysia in ASEAN Cup

Forward Arif Aiman scored twice in the first half before Bergson added  another after the break as Malaysia dominated over Bangladesh throughout the  match.

Ranked 136th in the FIFA rankings, Malaysia dominated from the outset with  quick, attacking football, while 181st-ranked Bangladesh, making their  tournament debut, struggled to maintain their shape and created meaningful chances.

Bangladesh goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon was called into action as early as  the fourth minute, tipping a Malaysian effort from a corner over the bar.

Malaysia continued to press, keeping Bangladesh's defence under constant  pressure, and eventually took the lead in the 18th minute.

Arif Aiman broke into the box after receiving a pass from midfield and calmly slotted the ball past Srabon to put Malaysia ahead.

Bangladesh conceded again in the 38th minute following a defensive mistake.  Arif Aiman pounced on a misplaced pass and made no mistake, scoring his  second goal of the match to double Malaysia's lead.

After the resumption, Bangladesh tried to stage a fightback but struggled to  make an impact. Instead, they conceded another goal in the 52nd minute.

Malaysia forward Bergson controlled a ball from the right flank with his left  foot before firing a right-footed shot. Although the effort lacked pace, Srabon failed to keep it out.

Bangladesh created only a handful of chances throughout the match but failed to capitalize on them.

There were no further goals as Thomas Dooley's charges left the field empty handed at the final whistle.

Earlier, Bangladesh coach Thomas Dooley handed the captain's armband to midfielder Sohel Rana (Sr), leaving regular captain Jamal Bhuyan out of the  starting XI.

Bangladesh will play their next Group A match against Singapore at the same  venue on September 28, reports BSS.