IT WAS a jittery 60 minutes for Malaysia but they went on to beat Bangladesh 3-0 in the curtain raiser of the World League Round Two hockey tournament in Dhaka, Bangladesh Saturday.
Only the finalists will move on to the World League Semifinals, and Malaysia face Oman on Sunday where a win is also expected.
Ranked 13th in the World, Malaysia started the count when Marhan Jalil slapped in from close range in the fifth minute.
But the first quarter ended without anymore goals, as Malaysia bungled a penalty corner and also three sitters.
Razie Rahim scored off Malaysia's second penalty corner in the 19th minute, and Aiman Nik Rosemi made it 3-0 in the 54th minute for full points.
STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
OMAN 1 1 0 0 7 0 3
MALAYSIA 1 1 0 0 3 0 3
BANGLADESH 1 0 0 1 0 3 0
FIJI 1 0 0 1 0 7 0
GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
CHINA 1 1 0 0 7 3 3
EGYPT 1 1 0 0 6 2 3
SRI LANKA 1 0 0 1 2 6 0
GHANA 1 0 0 1 3 7 0
RESULTS: Group A -- Oman 7 Fiji 0, Malaysia 3 Bangladesh 0; Group B: China 7 Ghana 3, Egypt 6 Sri Lanka 2.
SUNDAY: Group A: Oman v Malaysia (3.45pm), Bangladesh v Fiji (6pm); Group B: Ghana v Sri Lanka (11am), Egypt v China (1.30pm).
MONDAY: REST DAY
TUESDAY: Group A -- Malaysia v Fiji (11am), Bangladesh v Oman (6pm); Group B: China v Sri Lanka (1.30pm), Ghana v Egypt (3.45pm).
Note: Malaysian time.