An ill-fated own goal was all that separated the Malaysian XI and Chelsea Football Club in a highly pulsating and entertaining match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil Thursday (21/7/11).
The Blues found it tough to break the duck against a resilient Malaysian outfit for the greater part of the match. Despite world class players in the likes of Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba leading the firing line, Chelsea failed to get past goalkeeper Farizal Marlias who was in his element, making life difficult for the visitors for the first 72 minutes he was on the pitch.
The match’s solitary goal came in the 79th minute when powerful Ivorian striker Drogba lined up to take a free-kick some 25 yards away from goal. His curling shot hit the post before crawling past the line after ricocheting off the back of substitute keeper Izham Tarmizi.