Singapore, 17 April 2025: With four games remaining in the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™, the race to claim the season’s Most Valuable Player award is heating up with a pair of players joining the list of contenders after leading their teams to victory in the semi-final first leg matches.
Buriram United FC forward Guilherme Bissoli and PSM Makassar defender Yuran Fernandes joined a small group of players to have been named Shopee Stars of the Match in more than one game this season after pivotal performances in early April.
Bissoli was a livewire in attack when Buriram United met Thai League 1 rivals BG Pathum United FC at Buriram City Stadium, capping a magnificent performance with a stunning right-footed thunderbolt from 25 metres that flew past goalkeeper Saranon Anuin and into the top corner to seal a 3-1 win for his side.
It was the second goal of the competition for the 27-year-old, who was also named Shopee Star of the Match in Buriram United’s 4-0 victory over Indonesian side Borneo FC-Samarinda during the group phase.
“It is always important for me to play a good game and to help out my team,” said the Brazilian, who became the second Buriram United player to win two Shopee Stars awards this season after his compatriot Lucas Crispim.
“It was a very beautiful goal and it came at an important moment of the match. I'm happy to be able to help the team in this way.”
Meanwhile, Fernandes endured a rollercoaster of emotions at Gelora B.J. Habibie Stadium when he captained PSM Makassar in their home game against Vietnam’s Công An Hà Nội FC, the only team with a perfect record in the Shopee Cup™ group stage.
The Cape Verde centre-back conceded a penalty after 12 minutes for a foul on Nguyen Quang Hai but PSM Makassar goalkeeper Reza Arya Pratama saved Alan Grafite’s spot kick to keep the game scoreless. Fernandes made amends by heading in Victor Luiz’s corner 10 minutes from time to secure a 1-0 advantage for the Indonesian club ahead of the return in Vietnam later this month.
“I feel privileged by the award, but the award belongs to the entire team, who have helped me a lot,” said the 30-year-old, who was also the Shopee Star of the Match in a 0-0 draw with BG Pathum United during the group stage.
“In football, the psychological part is very important, the game didn't start in the best way for me, but you have to have emotional stability to understand that in football everything can change at any moment. That's what kept me focused after I conceded the penalty.”
In addition to Bissoli, Crispim and Fernandes, three other players have won two Shopee Stars awards this season: Fernandes’ PSM Makassar teammate Nermin Haljeta, Công An Hà Nội striker Le Van Do and Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne from Lion City Sailors FC, who bowed out during the group stage.
Three other Công An Hà Nội players have been named Shopee Stars this season – 20-year-old winger Nguyen Dinh Bac and Brazilian forwards Leo Artur and Alan Grafite. They will look to make an impact when the Vietnamese club attempts to turn the result around against PSM Makassar in the second leg at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday, 30 April.
The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has announced that the second leg of the semi-final between BG Pathum United and Buriram United has been rescheduled to Wednesday, 7 May.
With BG Pathum United facing an uphill task to overturn a two-goal deficit at Pathum Thani Stadium, they will look to Shopee Stars Teerasil Dangda, Freddy Alvarez and Raniel Santana to inspire the team to a memorable comeback and a spot in the inaugural Shopee Cup™ final, which will be played over two legs on 14 and 21 May.
SHOPEE CUP™ SEMI-FINAL SCHEDULE
The Shopee Cup™ is the first edition of the regional club competition, which brings together the leading clubs from across Southeast Asia.
For more information about the Shopee Cup™, please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
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