In a frantic match of many chances, neither side could find the winning goal in an action-packed second half.

Both teams went into the Matchday Two encounter looking to pick up their maiden win in the AFC Cup and, indeed, aiming to score their first goal in the competition.

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, it was Chennaiyin’s overseas players who proved the heroes as quick-fire goals from Australian Chris Herd and Brazilian Mailson Veriato early in the second half secured all three points.

Sunday Chizoba served notice of the home side’s intent when he fired a shot just wide in the first minute. Just a minute later Mahmoud Al Amnah responded with a powerful strike from distance that Shahidul Alam did well to touch over.

A touch of quality almost put Minerva in front when Al Amnah’s deep cross from the right was brilliantly controlled by Samuel Lalmuanpuia before he curled just wide of the top-right corner.

The clash on Wednesday pitted the top two sides in Group H against each other and after conceding a late goal in their home game against Kaya earlier in April, Makassar looked determined from the outset to stamp their authority on the contest.

After Rizky Pellu’s header opened the scoring in the 21st minute, Finnish striker Eero Markkanen doubled the away side’s lead just three minutes later and, from there, the platform for the Indonesian side to go on and eventually win the match was set.

The 22-year-old Mansaray, a former U-18 and U-20 international for the USA, had previous stints with MLS sides Seattle Sounders and FC Cincinnati, before arriving in Vietnam at the start of the current V-League 1 season.

While he could be forgiven for basking in the limelight given his outstanding individual showing, Mansaray is already focusing on the next game.

“It is a special feeling for sure, and I’ll just let it sink in,” he told the-AFC.com.

It’s been a slow start to their AFC Cup campaign for last year’s ASEAN Zone champions, Home United, with just one win from their first three matches.

One mitigating factor has been the prolonged absence of key man Song, one of the standout players in last year’s competition and a player who contributed five goals in the group stage in 2018, finishing with nine goals overall.

But having recovered from a groin complaint that saw him miss the first three matches of this year’s campaign, Song returned for Home United on Wednesday and made an immediate impact for The Protectors.