An exciting new era in ASEAN club football kicked off on Wednesday when the Qualifying Round Play-off of the inaugural Shopee Cup began with both the first leg ties producing exciting contests.
While Kasuka FC of Brunei Darussalam and Myanmar’s Shan United FC settled for a 1-1 draw, Cambodia’s Svay Rieng FC recorded a last-gasp 3-2 victory against Young Elephants FC of Laos in the ties that will complete the 12-team cast for the group stage.
With both match-ups too close to call after Wednesday’s results, ASEAN United FC picks out four players who impressed for their sides during the first leg.
Leon Taylor - Kasuka FC
Leon Taylor celebrated his return to Kasuka FC by opening the scoring against Shan United FC at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium just before the half-time interval on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Liberian striker, who played for Kasuka between 2020 and 2022, returned to the club last month and was their standout player in the home leg, scoring with a smart finish after being found inside the box by a through ball from Khairul Anwar.
Taylor, who guided Kasuka to a runners-up finish in the Brunei FA Cup in 2022, will hope to play a pivotal role at Yangon’s Thuwunna Stadium next week as his club try to make it to the group stage at the expense of their opponents from Myanmar.
Nhean Sosidan - Svay Rieng FC
Nhean Sosidan came off the bench in the 69th minute with his side trailing 2-1 to Young Elephants. But Jose Munoz’s substitution proved to be an inspired one as the 21-year-old winger not only provided the assist for Cristian Roque dos Santos’ debut goal for the club in the 90th minute which squared the first leg at 2-2 but also scored a stunning winner in the fourth of the six minutes added on at the end of the second half.
The lively Sosidan cut in from the right wing before hitting a sweet strike with his left foot that beat Keo Oudone Souvannasangso from 25 yards out and handed the Cambodian champions a memorable 3-2 victory.
Hein Phyo Win - Shan United FC
A defeat to Kasuka FC on Wednesday would have left Shan United with a mountain to club in the second leg in Yangon, but saving his side’s blushes was Hein Phyo Win who salvaged a 1-1 draw for Myanmar National League champions with a little over 10 minutes left on the clock.
The 25-year-old’s first touch, after running onto a through pass from Kaung Myat Thu, had him drift a little wide of the goal, but his finish more than made up for it as his shot fizzed past Kasuka goalkeeper Wardun Yussof at the near post. With a match-leading 21 passes in the final third, the right-back’s contributions in defence and attack will be crucial in deciding Shan’s fortunes in the return leg.
Shokhrukh Mahmudxojiyev - Young Elephants FC
Shokhrukh Mahmudxojiyev was at the top of his game as Young Elephants gave Svay Rieng a run for their money in their first-leg clash at Laos National Stadium in Vientiane. The Uzbek striker’s well-timed runs saw him cause plenty of trouble for the Cambodian backline and it was during one of those moves that he drew the foul that led to the sending off of opposition goalkeeper Vireak Dara in the first half.
Mahmudxojiyev then rubbed salt on Svay Rieng’s wounds when he planted the resulting free-kick in the back of the net and gave his side a 2-1 lead going into the break, having already hit the woodwork with an earlier effort from the same position.
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