SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Chrigor Moraes scored twice as Selangor FC secured a 2-1 win over Nam Dinh at MBPJ Stadium on Wednesday to gain the upper hand from the first leg of their 2025/26 Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup semi-final against the V.League 1 champions.
The Brazilian forward scored either side of a strike by Nam Dinh’s Nguyen Van Vi to give Kim Pan-gon’s Malaysia Super League outfit a one-goal lead ahead of the return meeting in Vietnam next Wednesday.
Chrigor put Selangor ahead seven minutes before the interval and, while Văn Vĩ levelled a minute into first-half stoppage time, the former Buriram United FC striker restored his side’s lead in the 58th minute with a cool finish.
Faisal Halim had threatened for the home side in the opening exchanges while Chadrac Akolo saw his long-range attempt deflected wide in the 10th minute by Safuwan Baharudin as both teams sought to make an early impression.
Faisal almost unlocked the Nam Định defence in the 20th minute after Hugo Boumous scampered down the left wing before cutting the ball back inside to the Malaysia international on the edge of the area but his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Caíque.
Nam Định had been in the ascendancy, with Percy Tau hitting the post, when Selangor broke forward to take the lead.
Noor Al-Rawabdeh’s lofted ball from inside his own half found Quentin Cheng and his perfectly weighted pass from the right was met by Chrigor as the Brazilian slid in to score from seven yards out.
The lead was to last only eight minutes with Tau unlocking the home defence in first-half stoppage time. The South African winger cut inside from the right, twisting and turning past Zikri Khalili before delivering the ball into the six-yard box for Văn Vĩ to stab in.
But 13 minutes into the second half Selangor reclaimed the lead when Cheng and Chrigor combined again.
Faisal threaded his pass through to Cheng and the fullback showed no hesitation in shuttling his pass forward towards Chrigor, who controlled with a deft first touch before lifting his shot over the advancing Caíque to score.
Tau was denied by Sikh Izhan Nazrel while Chrigor headed over the bar as he sought to complete his hat-trick and the Selangor goalkeeper kept out Nguyễn Tuấn Anh’s header to safeguard his side’s lead ahead of the second leg.
Shopee Star of the Match – Chrigor Moraes (No. 9), Selangor FC
