World No. 9 North Korea too strong as Tigresses exit with pride
World No. 102 Malaysia were outclassed 6-0 by world No. 9 North Korea in their final Group H qualifier on Saturday in Dushanbe, finishing second with two wins and one defeat.
"I am very proud of my team because in the first two games, we played against teams on our level, and we won," said Cornelli.
"Then we played North Korea, a team with more experience, with players who have seen more of the game, so naturally, they were more prepared."
Despite their exit, the Malaysian women showed grit and discipline throughout the qualifiers, grinding out 1-0 wins over both Palestine and hosts Tajikistan before running into a ruthless North Korean outfit.
"It's my first tournament with Malaysia, and I'm very proud of what we've achieved," added the Brazilian.
"With more time, we can improve. I believe we'll perform even better in future competitions."
North Korea, who had hammered both Palestine and Tajikistan 10-0, showed their class again against Malaysia.
The Koreans struck through Kim Hye Yong (40th minute), Myong Yu Jong (46th), Kim Kyong Yong (52nd, 55th, 78th) and Ri Hye Gyong (90th).
They topped the group with a perfect record - nine points, 26 goals scored, none conceded - to book their spot in next year's finals in Australia.
Malaysia, meanwhile, can hold their heads high. While the scoreline may appear one-sided, their relative resistance against a dominant force like North Korea was commendable.
For the record, Malaysia last qualified for the Women's Asian Cup Finals in 2001, when the tournament was held in Taiwan.
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