Yangon: Myanmar’s Shan United FC and Terengganu FC of Malaysia will return to ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ action when they face off at Thuwunna Stadium on Wednesday.
The clash pits the two bottom sides in Group A against each other in what is surely a must-win match for both if they are to stand any chance of reaching the knockout rounds of the competition.
Shan go into the game having suffered back-to-back away defeats in August and September, although both performances would have left room for optimism.
After taking in the lead in their tournament opener against Đông Á Thanh Hóa FC, the Myanmar champions ultimately lost 3-1. They were then just minutes away from securing a creditable draw against PSM Makassar in Indonesia, only to fall to a 4-3 defeat as star striker Moussa Bakayoko netted in consecutive games.
But having played two games away from home, Shan now return to more familiar surroundings with back-to-back home matches against Wednesday’s opponents and Thailand’s BG Pathum United where a pair of positive results could still leave them in with a chance of progressing.
Shan, the dominant force in their homeland in recent seasons, currently lead the Myanmar National League by six points having won their past nine games in a row. Having last been played in late November, the league will resume this weekend.
Terengganu, meanwhile, have also endured a difficult start to their campaign, picking up just one point from two homes games.
A surprise 3-2 loss against PKR Svay Rieng FC on the opening day was followed by an improved performance in a 2-2 draw against Thanh Hoa. However, after goals from Akhyar Rashid and Manny Ott put them 2-0 up at the break, the draw would ultimately have been disappointing.
Domestic form of late has been good, though, with the Turtles unbeaten in six games in all competitions, winning four of them. They sit fourth in the Malaysia Super League, while their win over Negeri Sembilan in December saw them advance to the Malaysia Cup semi-finals.
Shan United FC vs Terengganu FC
Venue: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Kick-off: 8 January, 6:00PM (Local Time)
Share now
