AFC Challenge League
The Portuguese forward struck after just four minutes of play but despite numerous chances for the Cambodian side, their inability to find a second goal came back to haunt them as Manila Digger FC fought back to salvage a 1-1 draw.
#ChallengeLeague | S-final (1st Leg) - Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC (CAM) 1-1 Manila Digger FC (PHI)
“Scoring is special every time but of course I'm not too happy because we wanted to win this game,” said Alves.
“It was important to win but unfortunately we didn't. However, the tie is still open and we will go to Manila to try to reach the final.
“Performance-wise, it was good. We didn't concede many chances and restricted them to long balls. We had many chances but just couldn't find the second goal.”
On the contrary, Manila’s resilience in fending off Svay Rieng - who produced twice as many attempts - became a source of motivation for the side from the Philippines as the game went on.
Their defiance eventually produced the desired outcome when Ousman Gai scored with two minutes of regulation to play, leaving the midfielder confident Manila can secure a historic final appearance in front of their home fans in the return leg.
“We had chances in the first half but we didn't capitalise on them,” said Gai. “Fortunately, in the dying minutes of the match, we managed to equalise because we never gave up.
“The team did incredible today because we played very well in an away tie against a team backed by a strong crowd so we can be proud of how we played. We will be waiting for them back home.”
The second leg will be played on April 16 at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
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