Balikpapan: Indonesia’s PSM Makassar posted their first win of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ after a late Abdul Rahman header helped them edge Shan United of Myanmar 4-3 in a Group A contest on Wednesday.
Nermin Haljeta and Aloisio Neto gave the Indonesians a 2-0 lead in the Matchday Two fixture at Batakan Stadium but Efrain Rintaro reduced the deficit for the visitors during the added minutes of the first half.
The end-to-end action continued in the second half as Latyr Fall again pulled PSM two goals ahead early before goals from Mark Sekyi and Moussa Bakayoko in the space of seven minutes saw Hiroki Ono's side restoring the parity at 3-3.
Yuran Fernandes missed from the penalty spot for PSM late in the second half, but substitute Rahman saved his blushes by heading home a 91st-minute winner to send the home crowd into raptures.
It was the hosts who hogged possession in the early stages without much success, and Shan grew into the game, going close with a header from Hein Phyo Win in the 21st minute before Rintaro’s effort from 25 yards out sailed inches over the PSM goal seconds later.
PSM’s first clear chance fell to Victor Luiz in the 27th minute as the right-back got inside the box after a one-two with Fall and tested Pyae Phyo Thu in the Shan goal.
Luiz’s overlapping run and cross into the box helped Victor Dethan force the Shan goalkeeper into another save at the half-hour mark before Dzaky Asraf skied the follow-up effort from close range.
Bernardo Tavares’ side were on top by that point and were rewarded with a goal two minutes later as Brazilian centre-back Neto’s cross into the middle was headed back across goal by Fernandes into the path of Slovenian striker Haljeta who had an easy finish to apply.
The Indonesians doubled their lead in a similar fashion four minutes later - this time, a free-kick from Akbar Tanjung was headed back into play by Fernandes for Neto to head home from point-blank range.
It looked like the home side would take a two-goal lead into the break, but their defence went to sleep in first-half stoppage time, allowing Rintaro plenty of time to bring a Hein Phyo Win cross under control inside the box and finish past PSM custodian Hilmansyah.
Tavares was forced into making a change after an injury to goalscorer Haljeta, but his players responded by restoring the two-goal cushion two minutes into the restart as an unmarked Fall headed in a corner from Luiz.
The Myanmar National League champions, however, refused to give up as Sekyi drove home a shot from the edge of the box after Rintaro’s cutback in the 56th minute.
The score was levelled seven minutes later when Bakayoko found the back of the net only to see the assistant referee's raised flag for offside. However, much to the delight of the Shan players, the goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR review.
The hosts had a chance to regain the lead when Thet Hein Soe fouled Rahman inside the box, but Fernandes' penalty on the hop in the 78th minute sent the Shan goalkeeper the wrong way, only for the woodwork to deny him.
However, Shan's resistance was broken in second-half stoppage time as Rahman headed home a cross from Luiz and secured the 4-3 win and three points for the Liga 1 club.
PSM, with four points from their first two matches, will next be in action in the Shopee Cup against Cambodia’s PKR Svay Rieng FC on January 8, 2025 while Shan, still hunting for their first point, host Malaysia’s Terengganu FC on the same day.
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