Six Goals, Zero Conceded, No Final: FAM Asks FIFA to Explain Stoppage Time That Sent Indonesia Through

Harimau Malaya did everything asked of them in Bandung on Thursday night, and it still was not enough. Malaysia thrashed Singapore 6-0 in their final Group A match of the FIFA ASEAN Cup. At the same time in Jakarta, two Indonesian goals deep into stoppage time took the hosts to the final on the narrowest tiebreaker there is.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has now asked FIFA to explain why the added time in that game changed from two minutes to seven.

Bergson hat-trick in Bandung

At Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Malaysia were in control from the early minutes. Bergson da Silva scored from the spot after referee Kim Jong-hyeok awarded a penalty following a VAR review for Ryhan Stewart's foul on Fergus Tierney. The goals kept coming after that:

• Stuart Wilkin made it 2-0 in the 26th minute
• Bergson got his second just after the hour (62')
• Paulo Josue added the fourth (76')
• Syahir Bashah scored late on
• Bergson completed his hat-trick in stoppage time

Malaysia finished the group with seven points, nine goals scored and none conceded: a 3-0 win over Bangladesh, a 0-0 draw with Indonesia and the six-goal rout of Singapore.

Nine goals at GBK

Indonesia needed a big win over Bangladesh at Gelora Bung Karno, and they got one. Mitchell Baker scored four times in the first half and the hosts led 6-1 at the break. Luke Vickery made it 7-1 in the 90th minute.

Then the evening turned. The fourth official first held up a board showing two minutes of added time, and Indonesia's bench protested. Bangladesh pulled a goal back through Farhaan Ali Wahid, and the board was changed to seven minutes. Kevin Diks scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time and Baker got his fifth a minute later, for a 9-2 win.

That left Indonesia and Malaysia level on seven points with the same goal difference of +9. Indonesia went through as group winners because they had scored 11 goals to Malaysia's nine.

FAM wants answers, not a replay

In a statement on Friday, FAM said it would ask FIFA about the basis, procedures and circumstances behind the change to the added time. It stressed that the request was not meant to challenge the result or either team's achievement. FAM said it wants clarity and wants to avoid speculation about the officiating.

Indonesia coach John Herdman has said the fourth official made an error with the first figure. He pointed to several stoppages in the match, including VAR reviews. According to VnExpress, Herdman said two minutes would have been too short given the time lost in the second half.

Raw emotions in the Malaysian camp

The disappointment showed. According to VnExpress, Bergson wrote on Instagram after the match: "Everything is ridiculous. Everything has favored Indonesia throughout the tournament." He later deleted the post and replaced it with a simpler message: "I'm proud of everyone."

Paulo Josue said he could hardly believe Indonesia had scored nine. "We need to keep our heads up, face it and try to finish the tournament as well as we can," the 37-year-old said.

Winger Arif Aiman asked fans to stay behind the squad. "As a supporter of the national team, there is no need to be disappointed. There is no need to criticize us or anything like that. We gave our best throughout these three matches without conceding a single goal," the JDT star told Bernama.

Singapore head home

For Singapore, the tournament ended with three points and one goal from three matches. Coach Gavin Lee has described the competition as preparation for January's AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, where Singapore are drawn with Australia, Iraq and Tajikistan.

Malaysia now play Vietnam for third place at GBK on Monday, 5 October. Indonesia meet Thailand in the final at the same stadium that evening.

Key takeaways

• Malaysia beat Singapore 6-0 with a Bergson da Silva hat-trick and finished the group unbeaten without conceding a goal.
• Indonesia won 9-2 against Bangladesh and topped Group A on goals scored (11 to 9) after both teams finished on seven points and +9.
• Stoppage time at GBK was changed from two minutes to seven, and Indonesia scored twice in it.
• FAM has asked FIFA to explain the change but says it is not disputing the result.

FAQ

Why did Malaysia miss the final despite a better defensive record? Both teams had seven points and a +9 goal difference. The next tiebreaker was goals scored, and Indonesia had 11 to Malaysia's nine.

Is FAM appealing the result? No. FAM says it is asking FIFA for an explanation of how the added time was decided, not challenging the result.

Who do Malaysia play next? Vietnam, in the third-place match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Monday, 5 October.

Sources: The Star, Malay Mail, AsiaOne, Jakarta Globe, VnExpress International, Bernama