Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Singapore: Hafiz Nor’s long-range winner ensured Singapore’s Home United will take a slender one-goal lead into the second leg of the AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal semi-final next week after claiming a 3-2 victory over Indonesia’s Persija Jakarta at Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday.
Home United opened the scoring in the second minute when Shahril Ishak cut inside Novri Setiawan down the right and delivered a teasing cross which the unfortunate Maman Abdurrahman headed into his own net.
Then in the ninth minute Song Ui-young burst past Abdurrahman and found himself clear on goal after Vava Yagalo lost his footing, but the midfielder still had work to do and remained composed to slip the ball past goalkeeper Rizky Darmawan and into the bottom left corner.
Persija came back into the game as the half wore on and Yagalo headed just over from Ismed Sofyan’s corner from the right in the 27th minute.
The Indonesian side’s pressure soon paid off, though, as five minutes later Ramdhani Lestaluhu headed home Riko Simanjuntak’s corner from the left to throw the tie wide open.