BANGKOK: Defending champions Buriram United FC booked its place in the last four of the 2025/26 Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup on Wednesday night (Feb 4) as Mark Jackson’s side cruised to a 6-0 win over DH Cebu FC to secure first place in Group A.
Goals from Sandy Walsh, Goran Causic, Kingsley Schindler, Phitiwat Sookjitthammakul, debutant Nathakorn Rattanasuwan and Suphanat Mueanta secured the three points the Thai League 1 champions needed to be sure of advancing to May’s semi-finals.
Victory moved Buriram United onto nine points from its five Group A matches and into first place in the standings following Selangor FC’s 1-1 draw with BG Pathum United FC.
Jackson’s side had won for the first time in Group A last week against Tampines Rovers FC after three successive draws, and last season’s winners wasted little time in taking command at the Thunder Castle in front of almost 13,800 fans.
Peter Zulj pulled an early effort wide of the DH Cebu goal after Emmanuel Toku had outpaced the defence as the Filipinos frustrated their hosts in the early exchanges. Rami Jeridi kept out Phitiwat’s strike from distance moments later.
It was Walsh who broke through in the 18th minute, steering a near-post header towards goal from seven yards out that Jeridi fumbled over the line following Schinder’s centre from the right.
Guilherme Bissoli was millimetres away from adding a second when his 27th-minute effort was pushed onto the crossbar by Jeridi, and four minutes later, Causic, who, was named Shopee Star of the Match, doubled the lead, lashing in a left-foot shot from waist height as Toku’s centre was only half-cleared.
The third arrived after a further three minutes, Theeraton Bunmathan delivering a searching pass from the left touchline towards the opposite side of the six-yard box, and Schinder’s pinpoint header gave Jeridi little chance.
Zulj’s corner unlocked the defence to deliver Buriram United’s fourth with seven minutes left in the half, Schinder heading the centre into the path of Phitiwat, who steered the ball over the line with his thigh.
Nathakorn, introduced as a substitute in the 60th minute for Toku, nodded in the fifth four minutes after his introduction, the teenager latching onto Zulj’s inviting cross from the right to score on his debut for the senior team.
Suphanat then put the seal on the win in the 91st minute when he was released by Zulj, holding his nerve to calmly slot past Jeridi.
Shopee Star of the Match: Goran Causic (Jersey No#23), Buriram United FC
Latest standings of the Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup: https://aseanutdfc.com/asean-club-championship/standings
