Terengganu players pose for the cameras before kick-off. - Photo by Terengganu FC
PETALING JAYA: Terengganu has failed to qualify for the Asean Club Championships semi-final.
The Turtles ended their Group A campaign with a defeat, losing 3-4 to Thai club BG Pathum United at the Leo Stadium in Bangkok on Wednesday (Feb 5).
The defeat sees the East Coast club finishing third in the group with seven points.
BG Pathum finished first in the standings with 11 points, while Indonesian club PSM Makassar finished second with 10. Only the top two teams qualify for the semi-final.
Terengganu broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when winger Akhyar Rashid ran towards the penalty box, beat Senegalese centreback Christian Gomis with a feint and curled in a superb right-footed shot past BG Pathum goalkeeper Pisan Dorkmaikaew.
But the lead only lasted a few minutes when BG Pathum got the equaliser through Brazilian striker Raniel Vasconcelos, who finished off a through pass from Singaporean international striker Ilhan Fandi in the 71st minute.
Vasconcelos got his second in the 76th minute when he capitalised on a loose save from Terengganu goalkeeper Rahadiazli Rahalim, who thwarted an attempt from winger Santhiparp Channgom but wasn't strong enough to avoid the follow-up from the Brazilian.
The third came in the 83rd minute when B Pathum’s star midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin unleashed a superb through pass in between two defenders, which was finished off superbly by Japanese midfielder Gakuto Notsuda.
Ilhan then became the goalscorer when he capitalised on another loose save from Rahadiazli, who couldn’t stop a cross from winger Nattawut Suksum.
Terengganu got their second of the night when Akhyar turned provider by assisting Safawi Rasid in the 86th minute and further reduced the deficit in the 95th minute when Safawi got his second of the night by burying a penalty but it wasn’t enough to save their campaign in the regional competition.
