“It was a tough match for us,” said Marhoon. “Many players were affected by fasting, which influenced our performance. However, the most important thing is that we secured the three points in the end.

“We currently have a young and promising team. We are in a transitional phase, with a squad overhaul that introduced around 80% new players. We see this tournament as an opportunity to develop a new generation.

“That doesn’t mean we’re not here to compete. Our goal is to go as far as possible in the tournament. We must face all challenges and difficulties, move forward step by step, and securing a victory in the first match is a very positive sign.”

Malaysia captain Mohd Ridhwan, who scored in the 32nd minute to make it 3-3, was understandably disappointed but played the result down to luck with the forward promising a stronger showing in the next game.

“It was a tough defeat for us as we tried our best,” said Ridhwan. “Even though we only had two weeks of preparations, we managed to give a team like Bahrain a good fight. In the end, luck wasn’t on our side.

“We know Oman are a team who have qualified for the World Cup before but it’s not impossible for us to be able to produce another good fight.”

Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena (Pattaya)

Kick-off: Sunday, 17:00 (UTC+7)

Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena (Pattaya)

Kick-off: Sunday, 20:30 (UTC+7)