Bekasi: Alexandro Corsino Lemos scored in added time to earn Timor Leste a 4-4 draw with Myanmar on Wednesday as Simon Elissetche’s side twice came back from two goals down to claim a point in the teams’ opening Group C clash in the ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup™ 2025.
Alexandro pounced from close range in the 91st minute to finish off a devastating counterattack as Timor Leste secured a point at the Patriot Chandrabhang Stadium ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Thailand.
Shine Wanna Aung and Zaw Win Thein had given Myanmar a two-goal lead with strikes in the 13th and 40th minute before Zenevio Gostavo Conceicao halved the deficit in first half injury time and set up Luis Figo to level the scores eight minutes after the restart.
Further goals from Than Toe Aung, in the 55th minute, and Min Maw Oo seven minutes later looked set to earn Myanmar victory but Vabio Canavaro scored with 15 minutes left and Bakhito hit the equaliser in injury time.
Myanmar went in front in the pouring rain as Zaw Win Thein fed Shine Wanna Aung inside the penalty area and the forward’s strike took a wicked deflection, allowing the ball to loop into the air and beyond the dive of Egidio Lurio.
Five minutes from halftime Lurio was judged to have brought down Than Toe Aung and, after referee Fairuski Naufal Adya pointed to the spot, Zaw Win Thein converted the penalty to double Myanmar’s lead.
However, Zenevio gave Timor Leste hope when he slotted his low shot beyond Hein Htet Soe in the second minute of first half injury time and the Tanjong Pagar FC forward was instrumental in his team pulling level in the 53rd minute.
The 20-year-old burst down the left flank and, after receiving a return pass from Alexandro, delivered a curling cross onto the head of Luis Figo, who gleefully glanced his header home.
Timor Leste’s joy was to last only two minutes as Than Toe Aung headed Min Maw Oo’s cross from the left past Lurio to restore his side’s lead.
Min Maw Oo extended Myanmar’s advantage when he took full advantage of a mistake by the Timor Leste midfield to march forward and crash an unstoppable shot past Lurio’s ineffective efforts to save.
But Canavaro’s drive from distance with 15 minutes remaining kept the outcome in the balance and Alexandro then slotted in from close range after Zenevio’s centre to put the cap on a thrilling encounter.
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