It's all down to teamwork, says Aidil after Kedah advance to ASEAN Zonal semi-finals

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

It's all down to teamwork, says Aidil after Kedah advance to ASEAN Zonal semi-finals

Denpasar: Aidil Sharin heaped praise on his side’s collective effort after Kedah Darul Aman came from a goal down to post a resounding 5-1 victory over Cambodia’s Visakha FC on Thursday and advance to the AFC Cup™ 2022 ASEAN Zonal semi-finals as Group G winners.

The Malaysian team lost their opening game against Bali United FC last Friday to give themselves an uphill task to reach the knockout rounds, but recovered to see off Kaya FC-Iloilo on Matchday Two and ensure they went into their final group game with a fighting chance.

And after going a goal down against Visakha, who needed only a draw to claim top spot in the standings, Kedah stormed back as a hat-trick from Mahmoud Al Mardi and goals from Fayadh Zulkifli and Ronald Ngah Wanja sealed a memorable turnaround.

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Cugurra and Yoshide look to the future after Bali and Kaya exit

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

Cugurra and Yoshide look to the future after Bali and Kaya exit

Denpasar: Bali United FC head coach Stefano Cugurra believes lessons can be learned from their AFC Cup™ 2022 campaign after the Indonesian champions were eliminated at the group stage despite a 1-0 victory over Kaya FC-Iloilo on Thursday.

Having won one and lost one of their opening two games, Bali went into their final Group G fixture at Stadion Kapten I Wayan Dipta needing a win and for results elsewhere to go their way if they were to have any chance of reaching the ASEAN Zonal semi-finals for the first time.

Cugurra’s side fulfilled their part of the obligation, with Jajang Mulyana’s first-half header securing a hard-fought victory, but ultimately it was defeat against Cambodia’s Visakha on Monday that cost them dearly as, despite winning two of their three games, Bali finished third in the standings.

Josue challenges KL City to improve after historic qualification

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

Josue challenges KL City to improve after historic qualification

Kuala Lumpur: Captain Paulo Josue said there is still room for improvement for Kuala Lumpur City following their 2-1 victory over Tampines Rovers of Singapore in their AFC Cup™ 2022 Group H tie at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium on Thursday.

Josue starred with a brace before Tampines’ Boris Kopitovic reduced the deficit as Kuala Lumpur City (KL City) secured a place in the ASEAN Zonal Semi-finals as the runners-up, with Indonesia’s PSM Makassar topping the group. 

Losada applauds Eastern Long Lions' resilience

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

Losada applauds Eastern Long Lions' resilience

Buriram: Eastern Long Lions head coach Roberto Losada praised his players for overcoming a challenging build-up to the group phase of the AFC Cup™ 2022 to advance to the next phase of the competition on Thursday.

Losada’s side handed Tainan City a 3-1 defeat at Buriram Stadium to secure top spot in Group J and progress to the Inter-Zone Semi-finals ahead of fellow Hong Kong Premier League side Lee Man.
 
Goals from Mikael, Sun Him-ming and Victor Bertomeu earned Eastern their second consecutive win in the competition to cap an impressive performance after a season that has been heavily disrupted by a severe COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong earlier this year.

PFC Sogdiana will be ready for Central Zonal final, says Bakaev

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

PFC Sogdiana will be ready for Central Zonal final, says Bakaev

Dushanbe: Head coach Ulugbek Bakaev was grinning from ear to ear after his PFC Sogdiana beat Altyn Asyr FC 3-1 to extend their AFC Cup™ debut campaign into the knockout stage on Thursday. 

Sogdiana were at their best with captain Jasur Khasanov scoring a goal in each half, with Javokhir Kakhramonov opening his tournament account with a second half effort, with Nurmyrat Rozyyev scoring a consolation for Altyn Asyr at the Republican Central Stadium. 

Bakaev was full of praise for his players’ improved performance and adaptability from match to match as they powered to a perfect three wins in topping Group E.

PFC Neftchi, FC CSKA confident of progress after AFC Cup adventure

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

PFC Neftchi, FC CSKA confident of progress after AFC Cup adventure

Dushanbe: Head coach Nurbek Zholdoshov believes his PFC Neftchi side have garnered valuable experience after their first-ever AFC Cup™ campaign. 

After two defeats in Group E, Nefchi were hoping to close out their debut with a win against FC CSKA, but despite dominating possession and recording 11 shots in total, a goal eluded them as they settled for a 0-0 draw at the Republican Central Stadium on Thursday.

#AFCCup2022 Knockout Stage set to be thrilling affair

Fri, 01 Jul, 2022

#AFCCup2022 Knockout Stage set to be thrilling affair

Kuala Lumpur: The knockout stage of the AFC Cup™ 2022 is set to be an exciting affair following the conclusion of the ASEAN, Central and East group stage on Thursday.

Excitement was the order of the day as dreams were both realised and dashed as four teams from ASEAN, two from Central and one from the East Zone joined the five sides who had already booked their knockout stage spots from the South and West Zones in May.