Malaysian player kicks Singaporean opponent in chest at ASEAN U19 Championship

The incident occurred in the 60th minute of Tuesday's Group B match at the Teladan Stadium in Medan, Indonesia. Aqasha fiercely contested the ball with Rio near the right touchline. After getting fouled by the Singaporean opponent, a frustrated Aqasha retaliated by tripping Rio and launching a direct kick into his chest.

The violent play immediately sparked a heated scuffle between both teams on the pitch, forcing the referee crew to intervene.

However, Vietnamese referee Le Vu Linh only issued a verbal warning to Aqasha, without giving a yellow or red card. Rio was not convinced as he attempted to re-enact the challenge to the ref and demanded a card, but was unsuccessful.

A screenshot of Noorazhar Aqasha kicking Prince Rio in the chest during Malaysia's 3-0 victory over Singapore in their opening match of Group B at the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship, held at Teladan Stadium in Indonesia on June 2, 2026.

The group stage of the tournament takes place without Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Alongside Le Vu Linh, the officiating team consisted of assistant referees Nguyen Lam Minh Dang of Vietnam and Aye Chit Moe of Myanmar, with Indonesia's Fairuksi Naufal Adya serving as the fourth official.

Singapore conceded just a minute later. In the 61st minute, Malaysia's Tengku Hazman sprinted down the left flank, cut inside and curled the ball into the far corner, extending the lead to 3-0.

Boasting a stronger lineup, Malaysia had firmly established their dominance in the opening half. The team opened the scoring in the 21st minute thanks to Arif Aiman Zaaba, before Abid Safaraz Rozaidi doubled the advantage in the 39th minute.

The 3-0 victory places Malaysia second in Group B after the opening round of the group stage. While they are level on three points with regional rivals Thailand, Malaysia sit behind on goal difference following Thailand's 9-0 thrashing of Brunei.

The second round of Group B will begin on June 5. Malaysia will play Brunei, while Singapore face an uphill battle against Thailand.

The 2026 ASEAN U19 Boys' Championship is being hosted across two Indonesian cities, Deli Serdang and Medan, from June 1 to 13. The tournament features 11 youth teams from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) split across three groups. The three group winners and the best second-placed team will secure tickets to the semifinals.

This year marks the 20th edition of the youth tournament since its inception in 2002. Thailand and Australia remain the most successful nations with five titles each, followed by Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia with two each. Vietnam, Iran and Japan each hold a single title.