Malaysia U17 win 13-0, lead Group C; AFC praises victory.
Malaysia U17 thrashed Northern Mariana Islands 13-0 in the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, with Iman Danish completing a hat-trick in the 20th minute. The AFC called it an “impressive performance”. Vietnam U17 beat Singapore 6-0 but are temporarily ranked second in Group C.
In just the first 20 minutes, Iman Danish completed a hat-trick, opening the scoring in a 13-0 victory for Malaysia U17 against Northern Mariana Islands in Group C of the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Qualifiers. The win propelled Malaysia to the top of the group thanks to a superior goal difference, and earned praise from the AFC as "an impressive performance".
The moment that unlocks the match.
Malaysia needed only 5 minutes to break the deadlock after a combination between Iman Danish and Iman Irfan. The speed and link-up play in attack made the difference early on, just as the AFC described: the opponent had "no time to rest" under the relentless pressure.
Main developments
The dominance was maintained throughout. Iman Danish completed his hat-trick in the 20th minute, setting the stage for a 7-0 lead at halftime. After the break, the game remained unchanged: Malaysia scored six more goals through Ali Ashraf, Arfan Haziq, Nurikhwan Othman, Fahim Akmal, and an own goal by the North Mariana defender, sealing a 13-0 victory.
| Match | Score | First half | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia U17 vs Northern Mariana Islands | 13-0 | 7-0 | Iman Danish scored a hat-trick in the 20th minute; six more goals after the break. |
Tactical perspective: speed and total attack
The AFC described it as “an impressive performance” as Malaysia “easily defeated the Northern Mariana Islands”. The Southeast Asian side’s approach was all-out attack, maintaining a high tempo throughout the 90 minutes, suffocating space and forcing their opponents to react hastily. That tempo resulted in a series of consecutive goals, from early combinations to exploiting errors in the second half.
Reactions and comments from the AFC
Immediately after the match, the AFC published a report, emphasizing that Malaysia had "easily defeated the Northern Mariana Islands" and calling it "a strong start and a clear statement of ambition." In addition, the organization assessed both Malaysia and Vietnam as having "convincing victories" in their opening matches.
Vietnam wins convincingly, but remains temporarily in second place.
In the match played on the same day, Vietnam U17 defeated Singapore 6-0 thanks to goals from Dai Nhan, Sy Bach, Minh Thuy, Nguyen Luc, and a brace from Manh Quan. Despite a smooth start, Vietnam is temporarily second in Group C due to a lower goal difference than Malaysia.
The situation in Group C and the crucial match.
Group C also includes Hong Kong, Macau, and the Northern Mariana Islands. After the first round, Malaysia holds the advantage in goal difference, but there is still a long way to go. The clash between Malaysia and Vietnam – the two leading contenders in the group – is expected to be a crucial turning point in the race to qualify for the 2026 U17 Asian Championship finals.
The outstanding figures
- 13-0: Malaysia U17's opening victory against Northern Mariana.
- 5 minutes: The moment Malaysia opened the scoring after a Danish-Irfan combination.
- 20th minute: Iman Danish completes his hat-trick.
- 7-0: Half-time score; 6 more goals after halftime.
- 6-0: Vietnam U17 wins against Singapore, temporarily placing them second in Group C.
