PETALING JAYA – Selangor FC displayed remarkable resilience to secure their spot in the ASEAN Club Championship semifinals after holding Thai giants BG Pathum United to a 1-1 draw at the MBPJ Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Red Giants entered the final Group A fixture needing to avoid defeat to ensure progression. However, their mission was complicated early on when winger Alvin Fortes received a straight red card in the 26th minute, leaving the hosts to battle with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Despite the disadvantage, the home crowd was silenced and then electrified when captain Faisal Halim broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. The winger capitalized on a swift counter-attack to give Selangor a shock lead before the halftime whistle.
The second half saw BG Pathum United intensify their attack, eventually forcing an equalizer in the 64th minute through a Richmond Ankrah own goal. Under heavy pressure, Selangor’s goalkeeper Kalamullah Al-Hafiz emerged as the standout performer, pulling off several reflex saves to keep the scores level and deny the visitors a comeback victory.
With this result, Selangor FC finished the group stage as runners-up with nine points, trailing group leaders Buriram United only on goal difference. The result effectively eliminated BG Pathum United, who finished third with seven points.
The Red Giants are now scheduled to face the winners of Group B in a two-legged semifinal showdown this coming May. Potential opponents include fellow Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) or Vietnam’s Nam Dinh FC, depending on the final standings of the opposing group.
