KUALA LUMPUR - Selangor FC head coach Kim Pan Gon was full of praise for his men after they booked a place in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) semi-finals by holding Thailand’s BG Pathum United to a 1-1 draw despite being reduced to 10 men for a large part of the game yesterday.
The South Korean tactician hailed his players’ strong character and mental toughness in withstanding around 70 minutes of intense pressure in their final Group A match at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium (MBPJ) Stadium.
"Players have passion. Players have desire. We want to qualify. We want to go to the semi-final. That was a crucial game. We showed our team spirit and strength… Selangor… Red Giants.
"We are now one step forward. We have improved. I am very proud of all the players who have overcome this very difficult hurdle,” said the former Harimau Malaya head coach at the post-match press conference.
In last night’s match, Selangor suffered a setback when midfielder Alvin Fortes was shown a straight red card for a foul on Kritsada Kaman in the 26th minute.
Despite being a man down, it was Selangor who took the lead through captain Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim in the 36th minute. BG Pathum United, however, equalised in the 64th minute through an own goal by Selangor defender Richmond Ankrah, who had the misfortune of stabbing the ball into his own net.
The one point, though, was enough for Selangor to finish second in Group A in second place with nine points. Another Thai representative, defending champions Buriram United, topped the group also on nine points but with a better goal difference after trashing Dynamic Herb Cebu FC of the Philippines 6-0 at home.
In the home-and-away semi-finals in May, Buriram United will face the Group B runners-up while Selangor will face the Group B champions.
Vietnam's Nam Dinh are currently top of Group B with 12 points ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with Super League leaders Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), who are second with 10 points, in Ninh Binh tonight. - BERNAMA