Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Yangon: Yangon United claimed their fifth win in six games in this season’s AFC Cup with a 2-0 victory over Hong Kong side Sun Hei on Wednesday but it was still not enough for the Myanmar league champions to top Group F.
After a scoreless first half, Myanmar international midfielder Kyi Lin opened the scoring in the 69th minute before Ivory Coast striker Adama Kone netted his ninth goal of the tournament nine minutes from time to give the home side all three points at the Youth Training Centre.
Despite the win, Yangon were denied first place in the group as New Radiant’s 6-1 victory over Indonesia’s Persibo in Male put the Maldives side in top spot on goal difference.
Having become the first Myanmar side to reach the knockout round of the AFC Cup, Yangon will next travel to Kolkata to face Indian side East Bengal in the Round of 16 in a fortnight’s time.
While Yangon had already sealed a spot in the last 16, their desire to finish first in the group and to host a game in the Round of 16 led to coach Ivan Kolev naming a strong team although he admitted that they struggled to raise their game against the already-eliminated Hong Kong side.
“Today’s game was not too easy for us but it was also not too difficult,” said the Bulgarian.
“My players knew that they had already qualified for the next stage so they lost their concentration at times during the game.
“Some of my key players had been given a rest because of injury but now we will get back in training to prepare for our knockout game against East Bengal.”
The match was a tight affair until the deadlock was finally broken by the lively Kyi Lin with 21 minutes left. Having tormented the Sun Hei defence for much of the match, he gathered the ball on the edge of the box and launched a shot that flew past Zhang Chunhu and went in off the woodwork.
The visitors tried to battle their way back but the home side would make the game safe in the 81st minute when Si Thu Aung set up the prolific Kone, who made no mistake as he netted his ninth goal of the campaign.
“I would like to praise Yangon United who beat us today although I thought that they performed better when they beat us 3-1 in Hong Kong,” said Sun Hei coach Chiu Chung Man.
“But the better club won today and I liked the performance of Kyi Lin. Myanmar clubs are getting physically stronger than our clubs and I think that Yangon United could do well in the knockout stage.”