Pahang FA suffered their first AFC Cup defeat of the season after falling 1-0 to Hong Kong side South China at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan.
Despite having their fair share of opportunities, Zainal Abidin’s men could not convert their chances, allowing Chan Siu Ki’s 13th minute strike to be the deciding factor in the match.
They started the game well, with Gopinathan and Azidan Sarudin depicting immense understanding on the offense, but South China were extremely diligent in keeping it simple during the first few minutes, allowing them the space to settle down and get into their stride.
Once they did that, the Hong Kong side immediately started firing on all cylinders, breaking the deadlock just 13 minutes into the game. Philip Chand did well to find Siu Ki with simple direct pass, and the latter turned before unleashing a shot that left Khairul Azhan helpless.
The home side upped their tempo after going down, with Gopinathan in particular, proving to be a real menace down the flanks. But on the several occasions in which he found space on the flanks, there was no one inside the box to deliver a cross to, allowing solid opportunities to go begging.
After the break, the home side continued applying the pressure, but South China, whose coach claimed that they would be happy with a point from this game, were extremely disciplined in how they marshalled their defence. That made it incredibly difficult for Pahang to muster a comeback as the away side eventually held on for a win.
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