BANGKOK: Malaysia’s Under-23 team avoided ending their SEA Games Thailand 2025 campaign without a medal after defeating the Philippines 2-1 to claim the bronze medal at the Rajamangala National Stadium.
The victory reflected the determination of Nafuzi Zain’s squad, who responded positively after missing out on a place in the final.
Malaysia opened the scoring through Danish Hakimi Salahudin before conceding an unfortunate equaliser via an own goal. However, Haqimi Azim Rosli quickly made amends by restoring Malaysia’s lead before the interval.
Despite sustained pressure from the Philippines in the second half, Malaysia held firm to secure the win.
The result offers encouragement for Malaysian football as the team looks to rebuild and regain regional competitiveness following a challenging period.