Malaysia vs Turkmenistan

Stadium Sultan Ibrahim plays host to a second-ever meeting between Malaysia and Turkmenistan as the two Asian nations collide in an international friendly.

Malaysia return to international action for the first time after an underwhelming 3-0 loss to Thailand in the second leg of their 2022 AFF Championship semi-final tie in January. Despite running out 1-0 winners in the first leg at home, the Malaysians failed to reach the grand final for the first time since a runner-up finish in 2014 and will be looking to bounce back against Turkmenistan. That should be an achievable task for the ‘Malayan Tigers,’ given that they thumped this opposition 3-1 in their only previous H2H in June 2022. Adding to Malaysia’s confidence, they’ve been victorious in each of their last five home outings, with four of those five triumphs coming by at least a three-goal margin.

Meanwhile, visiting Turkmenistan experienced a rough 2022, suffering three defeats in four internationals during the last calendar year (W1) while failing to find the net twice. Scoring on hostile turf has been a genuine issue for the ‘Karakum Warriors,’ as witnessed by three scoring blanks on their last four travels (W1, L3), including a gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat at Bahrain on their most recent road trip. Particularly vulnerable in the early stages, Mergen Orazow’s men have conceded the opening goal within 25 minutes of play in three of those four away matches, highlighting the potential for Malaysia’s quick-fire start.