Teong Kim pleased with AFC U-16 thrashing of Tajikistan

Lim described the victory as a good start for the players to get ready for Thailand and Japan to book a quarter-final slot.

"I am very glad that we won our first game because we were hoping for a very good start and we got it. They played a very good football before the rain came down.

"Even though it's 6-2 and such a big score margin, but it was very difficult and tough work for the boys," he told reporters in a post-match press conference.

In the match at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Luqman Hakim scored four goals followed by a goal each by Najmudin Akmal and Alif Mutalib to help Malaysia earn three points.

Meanwhile, national goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel was showed a red card during the match.

Despite that, Lim was unperturbed with the decision and said it was a lesson for the player.

He said Sikh Izhan would face a one match suspension and it would open other players to show their talent.

"As I have said, they are kids. He [Sikh Izhan] played well and it's not a problem. Of course he feels sad but he will learn from that mistake.

"They are allowed to make mistakes and only then they will learn.

"We have 23 players and everybody is equally good, so it's a good chance for the reserves to play. This is youth development, we are relying on a huge pool of players, not just specific players," he adde.d