With both teams tied at 0-0 at half-time, Malaysia’s coach Kim Pan-gon decided to bring on striker Lee Tuck to replace Darren Lok after the break, and it did not take long for the substitute to make an impact.
Using his speed, Lee intercepted a pass and relayed it to Safawi Rasid, who played a through ball to Faisal. The winger sent a grounder past Myanmar goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Phyo in the 52nd minute.
Stung by the goal, Myanmar launched a series of attacks, but the Malaysian defence, ably marshalled by Sharul Nazeem, managed to keep them at bay.
Undeterred, Myanmar kept pushing for the equaliser, and Kyaw Min Oo came close with a long-range shot that was pushed out by Syihan.
Towards the end of the match, a Sharul handball saw the referee pointing to the spot.
Fortunately for Malaysia, Syihan dived to his left to deny Myat Kaung Khant and preserve his side’s slim lead until the final whistle.
Malaysia will now head home to take on Laos at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Saturday before travelling to Hanoi to face Vietnam on Dec 27. They will complete their Group B fixtures at home against Singapore on Jan 3.
The top two teams from Group A and Group B will advance to the semi-finals.
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