Hai Phong defeated Malaysian club Sabah FC 3-2, Hai Phong surpassed their opponent to top Group H of the AFC Cup 2023-2024.
* Goals: Huu Son 14', Tien Dung 18' & 72' - Ramon 71', Robbat 80' .
The unexpected 1-2 defeat at Singaporean club Hougang United in the previous round put Hai Phong in a must-win position to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout round alive. That result, along with the loss of the injury-time victory against HAGL at home in round 1 of the V-League 2023-2024 on October 20, made fans even more worried about the Hai Phong team when they returned to the continental arena this afternoon.
After the opening whistle at Lach Tray Stadium, Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's players rushed forward to put pressure. However, Sabah were not easily bullied. The Malaysian club's high pressing style limited the home team's ability to attack. Goalkeeper Dinh Trieu had to clear the ball many times to relieve pressure on Hai Phong.
Sabah (red shirt) caused many difficulties for Hai Phong at the beginning of the match of the third round of Group H of the AFC Cup 2023-2024 at Lach Tray Stadium on the afternoon of October 25. Photo: Nghia Hung
However, Hai Phong's efforts to press the field were rewarded with two goals in the first four minutes of the first half. They benefited from the visitors' defensive errors. Starting from a left-wing corner kick, Huu Son took a step back and crossed in an unpleasant trajectory. The ball went straight into the net without touching any players of either team or goalkeeper Damien Lim.
Hai Phong were also lucky to double the score. Dam Tien Dung's powerful long-range shot lightly hit the foot of a visiting player, causing Lim to fall without time. The Sabah goalkeeper explained to his teammates that the ball had changed direction, leaving him no time to react. But perhaps Lim should have done better in this situation.
The two teams continued to give the audience at Lach Tray Stadium a back-and-forth, but the pace of the match slowed down in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Hai Phong proactively retreated to their home field, giving the game to their opponents to save energy for the second half. Sabah continuously penetrated the home team's right wing, where Huu Son and Anh Hung were. Their intention almost succeeded when a cross brought the ball to Telmo Castanheira's feet in the penalty area. The Portuguese midfielder shot hard but missed the post.
The match after the break did not have as many tense moments as the first half. Hai Phong took the initiative to keep the ball firmly and play slowly. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's adjustments during this time were all to serve that purpose. However, Sabah had individuals capable of creating breakthroughs.
In the 71st minute, Malaysian player Darren Lok dribbled past home defender Ben Van Meurs and crossed for Ramon to head in, narrowing the score to 1-2. But the away team's joy did not last long. Just one minute later, two substitute players, Martin Lo and Nguyen Tuan Anh, combined to create an opportunity for Tien Dung to score a double.
Tien Dung was the hero of Hai Phong FC in the 3-2 win over Sabah FC at Lach Tray Stadium in the third round of Group H of the AFC Cup 2023-2024 on the afternoon of October 25. Photo: Hai Phong FC
However, the difficulties were not over for Hai Phong. In the 80th minute, substitute Gary Steven Robbat scored a superb volley from 25 meters, helping Sabah narrow the gap to one goal for the second time. However, the remaining time was not enough for the Malaysian club to gain a point.
The victory helped Hai Phong take the top spot in Group H, with the same six points as Sabah, but coach Chu Dinh Nghiem and his team have a better head-to-head record. The two teams will play again in the second leg on November 9 at Likas Stadium.
Quang Huy
Source link
![[Photo] Binh Trieu 1 Bridge has been completed, raised by 1.1m, and will open to traffic at the end of November.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/10/2/a6549e2a3b5848a1ba76a1ded6141fae)
Comment (0)