Three matches from Group F and Group H of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup took place on Wednesday with a combined total of 16 goals occurring. Fret not, for we have the round up from the games right here:
GROUP F:
GLOBAL FC 3-2 JOHOR DARUL TA'ZIM [Villanueva 27' Sasaki 32' Aguinaldo 35' - Guerra 48', 83']
Philippine side Global FC regained control of Group F by defeating Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta'zim 3-2 at home on Wednesday. The result of the tie was sealed in a manic eight-minute spell in the middle of the first half where Global pumped in three goals past their opponents, leaving them shell-shocked.
AFC Cup 2017: Roundup from Tuesday
Having lost the reverse fixture to Johor 4-0 in the last round, Global knew they had to win to take the lead in the group and they set about doing that in the first half. Dennis Villanueva slid in to divert a low cross into the goal in the 27th minute before a long ball from midfield sent Shu Sasaki clear in the 32nd minute. He made no mistake and slotted past the goalkeeper who was beaten again three minutes later. This time, Darryl Roberts was sent clear on a rapid counter and he squared a pass for Amani Aguinaldo to apply the finishing touches.
To their credit, Johor mounted a comeback in the second half though it ultimately fell short. Argentine striker Gabriel Guerra pulled one back in the 48th minute with a fantastic strike into the bottom corner from outside the area. He set things up for a nervy finish when he bagged another goal in the 83rd minute by diverting a cutback but Global FC would hold on to gain three important points.
Global FC now have nine points from four games while Johor are two points behind.
MAGWE FC 1-1 BEOUNGKET ANGKOR [Sekhou 62' - Laboravy 61']
AFC Social media
Myanmar's Magwe FC held Cambodia's Beoungket Angkor FC 1-1 in Yangon on Wednesday in a result that did neither team any sort of favour whatsoever.
The first half of the game was drab and ended goalless but the match came alive just past the hour mark. The away side, Beoungket Angkor, surged into the lead after Khoun Laboravy latched on to a long ball forward from Sath Rosib before slipping a neat finish past the Magwe custodian Phyo Kyaw Zin. But the Cambodians gifted Magwe an equaliser in the very next minute, courtesy a howler from the backline. With the goalkeeper off his line, a clearance deflected off a Magwe defender and fell to Sekou Sella who guided the ball into the open net from outside the box.
AFC Cup 2017: Air Force Club held
The shared points meant that Magwe remain bottom of the group with four points while Beoungket Angkor are third with four points.
GROUP H:
THAN QUANG NINH 4-5 HOME UTD [Jantan (OG) 36' Hieu 44' Tuan 78' Tu 90+2' - Nizam 10' Plazibat 15', 64', 69', 86']
AFC Social media
A sensational four-goal haul from Home United striker Stipe Plazibat helped them win a thrilling tie against Than Quang Ninh 5-4 away in a Group H game on Wednesday.
In what turned out to be a rollercoaster of a game, it was Khairul Nizam who gave Home United the lead in Vietnam in the 10th minute with a venomous volley from the corner of the penalty area. Home United's Croatian forward Stipe Plazibat then won himself a penalty five minutes later and duly converted it to make the scoreline 2-0. But the home side were handed a lifeline in the 36th minute by Home Utd's Juma’at Jantan who turned Nguyen Sa’s powerful low cross past his own keeper. Bui Van Hieu then brought Than Quang Ninh level with a headed finish from a cutback on the stroke of half-time.
But Stipe Plazibat then stamped his authority on the tie in the second half with two goals in five minutes. First one, in the 64th minute, was a sumptuous curler in to the far corner from the left side of the area. The second, after four minutes, was also a similar finish which also sealed his hattrick. Than Quang Ninh, though, pulled another goal back in the 78th minute through Vu Minh Tuan who threaded a low shot in after an incisive run form the left wing.
But Plazibat was not done yet. He went on to notch his fourth goal by tapping home a square pass on the counter to make the scoreline 5-3. Though Nghiem Xuan Tu saw his stoppage-time freekick descend into the net, thanks to a misjudgement by the Home Utd goalkeeper, it failed to affect the result which sees Than Quang Ninh crash out of the tournament.