Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kolkata: A second-half strike from Japanese substitute Ryuji Sueoka handed Indian club East Bengal a narrow 1-0 win over Indonesian champions Semen Padang in the first leg of their AFC Cup quarter-final at Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday.
Both sides were wasteful in each half with Padang also hitting the woodwork through their Liberian striker Edward Junior Wilson.
But East Bengal scored the only goal of the game with 20 minutes remaining through Sueoka and now have a lead to take into next Tuesday’s second leg in Indonesia.
Visitors Semen started the better of the two sides and were unlucky not to open the scoring as they were denied twice in quick succession by East Bengal goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Semen midfielder Vendry Mofu squandered the away team’s best opportunity of the first half as he failed to hit the target from close range after Gurpreet failed to handle a scorching free-kick from Korea Republic midfielder Yu Hyun-koo.
The home side’s best chance of the first half came when Edeh Chidi went clean through on goal after a long ball from the back, but after the Nigerian striker went past Semen goalkeeper Jandi Eka Putra, he was unable to find the onrushing Reisangmi Vashum.
East Bengal coach Marcos Falopa introduced Sueoka in the second half but it was Chidi who should have opened the scoring close to the hour mar as the Nigerian got away from his marker and rounded Putra but somehow failed to find the back of an empty net.
Midway through the second half, Semen were unlucky not to take the lead as Wilson hit the post with a great effort from outside the area following a counterattack.
And the missed opportunities came back to haunt Padang as East Bengal went in front in the 70th minute as a nice break from East Bengal allowed Cabin Lobo time and space on the right flank and the midfielder’s pass was curled into the back of the net by Sueoka from 25 yards.
East Bengal, though, failed to create any further clear cut chances to find the second, while Semen only threatened from set pieces and the Kolkata club held on to secure the win with a clean sheet.