Irish League teenager Kenny Ximenes ticked off a memorable career milestone on Sunday after making his senior international debut for Timor-Leste in their ASEAN Championship opener.

Ximenes, currently on loan at Championship outfit Annagh United from Dungannon Swifts, was born in the Southeast Asian nation before moving to Northern Ireland aged eight and has tasted significant success at youth level, helping the Swifts lift their first-ever Harry Cavan Youth Cup crown before winning the Schools’ Cup title with Integrated College Dungannon.

The 19-year-old received his maiden Timor-Leste call-up earlier this month and started in Sunday’s fixture against Thailand with Ximenes’ side unfortunately losing out 10-0.

It was always going to be an uphill task against the defending champions, who have won the ASEAN Championship seven times throughout their history, and they currently sit 99 places higher in the FIFA World Rankings, occupying 97th spot compared to Timor-Leste’s 196th.

placeholder image — Dungannon Swifts youngster Kenny Ximenes made his senior international debut for Timor-Leste on Sunday. (Photo by Philip Magowan/Presseye)

Former Fulham youngster Ben Davis scored twice while Suphanat Mueanta – currently plying his trade in the Belgian top-flight with Leuven – also struck in the second half.

Ximenes gained invaluable experience on the international stage, playing 70 minutes at the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi and will hope to play his part in another three fixtures against Malaysia (December 11), Singapore (December 14) and Cambodia (December 17).

The upcoming fixture versus Malaysia will be played at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, which is one of the region’s biggest venues, holding a capacity of over 87,000 spectators.

Speaking to the Belfast News Letter ahead of making the trip, Ximenes said: "I’m over the moon really – words can’t describe how excited I am for this opportunity to represent my birth country. I’m living the dream of every kid that plays sport.

"Growing up playing football you always dream of representing your country. I was scrolling through my phone one day and I got a message from the gaffer (Simon Elissetche) of the national team, who asked me ‘do you want to represent your country?’

"Seeing that text from the gaffer was so special for me and my family. You’re going to be playing in some massive stadiums and I’m sure huge crowds.”

The ASEAN Championship is a biennial international competition contested to determine the sub-continental champion of Southeast Asia and Timor-Leste are still searching for their first victory, losing 13 consecutive matches with this a fourth entry.

Ximenes came on as a substitute in the Irish Cup fifth round last season for Dungannon and has enjoyed an impressive start to life with Annagh, scoring twice as Ciaran McGurgan’s side set up a BetMcLean Cup quarter-final showdown with Larne while the talented youngster also netted in a 1-0 August victory against current runaway league leaders Bangor.

While his most recent outings for Annagh included trips to the likes of Limavady and Loughgall, he’s now playing in front of thousands and is hungry for more.

"I want to get as many games as possible and adapt quickly to the environment,” he added. “I need to knuckle down and work hard to see what I can bring to the team and put my country’s flag on the map.”