Hanoi: Công An Hà Nội FC maintained their perfect record in the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ after they posted a thrilling 3-2 win over Borneo FC Samarinda in their final Group B fixture at Hang Day Stadium on Thursday.
Habibi Jusuf had scored in the closing stages of the first half to cancel out Le Van Do’s opener for the hosts in Hanoi. Nguyen Dinh Bac then pulled the Vietnamese side ahead again only for Gavin Kwan to restore parity with four minutes left on the clock.
However, Leo Artur scored the winning goal for Công An from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time as the V.League 1 side finished at the summit with five wins from as many matches while Borneo exited after finishing fourth with six points.
Công An will next face another Indonesian side in the semi-finals in Group A runners-up PSM Makassar next month while Buriram United and BG Pathum United clash in an all-Thai contest in the other last-four tie.
Van Do scored for the fourth Shopee Cup game running to give Công An the opening goal in the 20th minute. Phan Van Duc picked up a weak defensive header from Christophe Nduwarugira and passed to Van Do, who planted a left-foot strike from outside the box past the diving Nadeo Argawinata.
The V.League 1 side continued to create the better of chances with Van Duc getting behind the Borneo defence in the 33rd minute only to fire straight at Nadeo while his low drive from close range nine minutes later was kept out by a good save from the Borneo goalkeeper.
The Indonesians had failed to register a shot on target as the game entered first-half stoppage time, but they were gifted an equaliser by Công An centre-back Giap Tuan Duong, whose blind backpass allowed Jusuf to make it all square.
Công An wanted a penalty after a challenge by Leo Guntara on Dinh Bac but the referee waved play on and the sides went into the break with the score at 1-1.
Both sides began the second half cautiously but it was Borneo who went closest to another goal 20 minutes after the restart as Berguinho’s shot zipped across the goal and missed the far corner by inches.
Alexandre Polking’s side then stepped up their efforts to maintain their perfect record in the competition as Artur tested Nadro from the edge of the box in the 76th minute before Dinh Bac pulled them ahead five minutes later.
Artur’s slipped in Dinh Bac inside the box and the attacker’s shot took a slight deflection off Borneo defender Ronaldo and looped over Nadeo to make it 2-1.
But their lead only lasted five minutes as Ronaldo kept the ball in play near the byline after Gabriel Furtado’s initial effort was saved by Sy Huy Do and the defender laid it back for Ikhsan Nul Zikrak, whose shot was helped on its way to the goal by fellow substitute Kwan as Borneo drew level.
However, the decisive moment in the game arrived in the 88th minute as Nduwarugira challenged Hugo Gomes inside the box and gave away a penalty that was converted by Arture as Borneo wrapped up their group stage campaign without any blemish.
Share now
