Manila Digger FC are through to the knockout stage of the AFC Challenge League following a 4-0 win against Shan United FC in their Group E tie on Saturday.
The win confirmed Manila as Group E winners, advancing to the quarter-finals on seven points while Shan United – on four points.
Manila and Shan United went into the game knowing that a win would confirm their place in the last eight and with a sense of jeopardy at play, started in a cagey manner.
Baboucarr Touray’s cross for Seikou Ceesay in the eighth minute, which the latter nodded wide for Manila, was the only chance of note in an otherwise tense opening 25 minutes.
The game changed in an instant when Ye Min Thu’s attempt to head clear Edward Ndecky’s cross in the 29th minute saw the ball hit Dylan De Bruycker in the knee and landed in the net for Manila to take the lead in a fortuitous manner.
Before Shan United could recover, Manila struck again two minutes later when De Bruycker played Ceesay through and the Gambian forward put away his chance with ease despite Kyaw Zin Phyo closing in on him.
Manila were not content to just sit on their lead and continued to put the pressure on Shan United in the second half, Ceesay struck a curler against the bar before Zin Phyo denied Touray’s long range attempt.
Shan United went close to reducing the deficit in the 62nd minute, Rodrigue Nanitelamio rose highest to put his head to Ye Yint Aung’s outswinging corner delivery but guided his header just wide.
Goodwin Prince put the seal on an excellent Manila performance with the third in the 87th minute, leaping high to glance in Zachary Taningco’s cross from the right before adding another in stoppage time.
Tainan City FC booked their place in the knockout stage following a 1-1 draw with Yangon United in their Group D tie on Saturday.
The result meant both sides ended with a point each, with Chinese Taipei’s Tainan advancing due to a superior goal difference. Borneo FC Samarinda topped the group with a maximum six points.
Yangon threatened in the 10th minute when Aung Myo Khant sent a weighted through ball into the box for Than Paing, who only had the goalkeeper Pan Wen-chieh to beat but the forward sent his grounded effort just wide of the left post,
The Yangon captain spurned another chance three minutes later when he surged into the box, only to send his effort wide.
Tainan began to threaten as the half progressed, with Wilker’s header comfortably saved by Sann Satt Naing in the 24th minute, while Isreal Opoku then had a shot from outside the area blocked.
Yangon came close again late in the half, with Min Kyaw Khant picking out Thiago Tomais inside the box in the 42nd minute, but the forward’s heavy touch allowed Kim Sung-kyum to clear the danger
The Myanmar side started strongly after the break and broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when Moustapha Enok Djidjiwa finished from close range after Than Paing nodded the ball into his path from a set-piece situation.
Tainan tried to respond but Sann Satt Naing was equal to the task at the hour mark when he denied Matheus Porto’s header, while Djidjiwa came close to doubling Yangon’s lead seven minutes later, only for his effort from the left side of the box to sail narrowly over the bar.
The Chinese Taipei’s persistence was finally rewarded in the 74th minute from a swift counter-attacking move, with Wilker setting up Opoku who outpaced his markers before calmly slotting past Pan with the goal enough to take them through.
