It was a day to celebrate as the Pesta Bola Merdeka tournament gave extra meaning to the coming Malaysia Day celebrations.
Sabah born players dominated the stage as they scored the winning goal for the Malaysia to overcome a gusty Myanmar side 2-0 at a packed stadium in Pahang.
The game was largely dominated by Malaysia with Myanmar defending in number and Malaysia showing much spirit and desire to win in this legendary tournament.
In the 29th minute, Rozaimi Rahman who plays for Harimau Muda A under coach Ong Kim Swee nailed a goal for Malaysia with a thunderous effort from inside the box. Rozaimi had also played for Sarawak FA in 2010, before returning to his home state team Sabah, and then Selangor.
Myanmar pushed ahead in the second half to find the equalizer, but Junior Eldstal who plays for Premier League champions Sarawak had something different in his mind when he flawlessly made a crucial ball winning tackle before charging forward towards the Myanmar goalkeeper.
Just as the goalkeeper was about to get into position, Junior calmly pushed the ball into the left of the goal hence ensuring Malaysia wins the Pesta Bola Merdeka tournament.
The game also saw Wan Zack Haikal who plays for FC Ryukyu crowned Man of the Match.
