Eleven football fans have been arrested after flares and firecrackers were thrown onto the pitch during a World Cup qualifier match betwen Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, police said today.

Malaysian football fans allegedly threw those and other objects a few minutes before the end of the World Cup qualifying Asian Zone Group A match last night, Shah Alam police chief Shafien Mamat said.

Police are also investigating allegations that several Saudi Arabia supporters were injured, Shafien said. Saudi Arabia won the match 2-1.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin lambasted the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

"FAM lost control of their own stadium," Khairy tweeted. "Fans throwing flares were wrong. Both at fault tonight."

Malaysia's football association has also been under fire over the poor performance of the national team in World Cup qualifying games.

In its first three matches, Malaysia only managed a 1-1 draw with lowly Timor Leste, received a 6-0 thrashing against Palestine and suffered a humiliating 10-0 loss to United Arab Emirates earlier in the week.

- dpa