KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia were handed their first defeat in the second round of the 2022 World Cup-2023 Asian Cup Group G qualifying stages.

In their second match of the campaign, Tan Cheng Hoe’s side were defeated 2-1 by the United Arab Emirates at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (Sept 10).

Malaysia first took the lead in the first minute through midfielder Syafiq Ahmad.

However, UAE striker Ali Mabhkout proved his credentials as one of the top strikers in Asia as he scored two goals to sink Malaysia.

He scored in the 45th and 74th minute of the match and is now the second joint top scorer for his country with 51 goals. Ahmed Khalil is the other player in that list.

Malaysia opened their campaign with a 3-2 win against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.