Hussain Ali 'tricks' for Bahrain

Bahrain and Slovakia picked full points from their opening matches in the Merdeka Cup football tournament at Shah Alam, near Kuala Lumpur, on Thursday night.

Bahrain beat Malaysia 4-2 while Slovakia got the better of Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0, thanks to an own goal.

Malaysia were a goal in arrears in as early as the third minute when Bahrain's Talal Yusof scored from inside the penalty box after a pass from Salmon Isa Ghuloom.

Malaysia restored parity in the 25th minute, when defender Adbul Ghani Malis received a short pass on the right flank and fired a dipping shot into the far corner of Bahrain's goal.

Midfielder Gilbert Caseedy Gawing followed it up in the 52nd minute with a goal from a free-kick.

But three goals by Bahrain's Hussain Ali Ahmed in the second half turned the game.

Ali scored Bahrain's equaliser in the 70th minute with a stiff grounder, followed it up with another goal from 15 metres out in the 85th minute and completed his hat trick in the 90th minute.

Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina played cautiously in the first half, with defenders tightly marking the opposing strikers.

The second half was livelier. Bosnia-Herzegovina looked more menacing with striker Mirsad Beslija supplying several crosses from the right which failed to find the strikers.

The deadlock was broken in the 63rd minute, when Bosnia- Herzegovina striker Mirsad Beslija beat a defender on the right flank and made a low cross into the penalty area.

But Milan, trying to clear the ball, flicked it into his own goal past goalkeeper Lipcak Martin.

Their wins gives Bahrain and Bosnia-Herzegovina the joint lead, with three points each, in Group A.