SHOPEE CUP™ 2025/26 PLAY-OFFS – DH CEBU FC 3-0 KASUKA FC (CEBU WIN 4-2 ON AGGREGATE)

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15 Aug 2025

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Manila – Philippines Football League Finals Series winners DH Cebu FC overcame a first-leg deficit to progress to the group stage of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ 2025/26 with a 3-0 win over Brunei Super League champions Kasuka FC at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Friday as they completed a 4-2 aggregate play-off win.

Rico Andes scored in the 27th and 72nd minutes after Esrom Paulos had erased Kasuka’s first leg lead in the 21st minute to take the club from the Philippines into Group A of the latest edition of the Shopee Cup™.

There Glenn Ramos’ side will face defending champions Buriram United of Thailand, 2024/25 runners-up Công An Hà Nội FC of Vietnam, BG Pathum United of Thailand, Malaysian giants Selangor FC and Singapore Premier League side Tampines Rovers FC.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg last week, Cebu had Kasuka under pressure in the opening 15 minutes with Paulos sending in an inviting cross towards Abou Sy that the forward narrowly missed, allowing the ball to bounce through to goalkeeper Wardun Yussof.

Moments later, the home side went closer still when Andes raced towards goal, only to fire off a shot that thumped against the base of Wardun’s right post before bouncing to safety.

Wardun was quickly off his line to deny Andes on the edge of the penalty area in the 20th minute but, a minute later, Paulos netted for the home side when he stroked a left-foot shot past the goalkeeper that was registered as a goal after a lengthy VAR review.

Cebu’s second was to come in the 27th minute when the hosts harried the Kasuka defence while in possession close to their own goal, with the ball eventually falling at the feet of Andes who slid his shot through Wardun’s legs.

Kasuka had been second-best for much of the first period but they sprung into life after the interval with Brazilian forward Hugo flashing a shot narrowly wide 10 minutes after the restart.

Five minutes later, Jacob Njoku skipped past a pair of challenges to find the space to bend a left-foot shot from 20 yards that rattled the Cebu crossbar.

Kasuka were to rue that miss when, with 12 minutes remaining, Andes scored his second and Cebu’s third when he beat Wardun to Paulos’ in-swinging corner, glancing his header beyond the goalkeeper to seal the win.

Cebu will open their Group A campaign with a  home game against Tampines Rovers of Singapore next Wednesday.

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