United Arab Emirates have easily accounted for Malaysia in their opening Asian Cup qualifier.

The UAE kicked off their Group C campaign with a 5-0 drubbing in Kuala Lumpur thanks to braces from both Mohamed Omar and Ismael Matar.

UAE coach Dominique Bethenay was surprised by how well his side performed.

"I was prepared for only a one goal victory. I really did not expect such a big win," he said.

"The win proved that the players are back in the right frame of mind after the disappointment at the Gulf Cup.

"They did a good job tonight and they were fully committed to winning this match against Malaysia. It can only bode well for our upcoming matches."

UAE next play Uzbekistan at the Al Sharjah club on January 28 whilst Malaysia will have to wait until November to redeem themselves as Group C consists of just three teams.