ACL2: Selangor notch first win on Asian stage in eight years

PETALING JAYA: Selangor’s first home match on the Asian stage in eight years ended in triumph as the Red Giants edged out Filipino club Dynamic Herb Cebu FC 1-0 at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium (MBPJ) here tonight. The narrow victory allowed Nidzam Jamil’s squad to claim their first three points in Group H of the 2024/25 AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2), following a 1-1 draw against Thailand’s Muangthong United in their opening match in Bangkok last month. Selangor, who last played on the Asian stage in 2016, made an aggressive start, opening the scoring in the 10th minute when Venezuelan midfielder Yohandry Orozco converted a cross from Ronnie Allan Fernandez, beating Cebu goalkeeper Florencio Badelic Jr. The home team continued to dominate, creating numerous opportunities to score at least four more goals in the first half but poor finishing and the impressive saves from Badelic Jr. kept the scoreline unchanged. In the second half, Nidzam’s men remained in control but struggled to add to their lead, despite several substitutions, including the introduction of star winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, who replaced Alvin Fortes. The visitors nearly dashed Selangor’s hopes of securing all three points in the final moments when substitute striker Rintaro Hama’s close-range shot narrowly missed before the final whistle was blown by Tajikistan referee Nasrullo Kabirov. Meanwhile, in another Group H match, South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors claimed their second consecutive victory after defeating Muangthong United 4-1 in Jeonbuk. After two matches, Selangor sit in second place with four points, two behind group leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Muangthong United are third with one point while Dynamic Herb Cebu remain at the bottom with no points. Selangor will next face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at home in their third group match, while Dynamic Herb Cebu will host Muangthong United in Manila, both matches on Oct 23. For the record, the last time Selangor hosted an Asian tournament match was in a goalless draw against Filipino club Ceres in the 2016 AFC Cup group stage at the Selayang Municipal Stadium.