Focused: Terengganu captain Safawi Rasid scoring a penalty against BG Pathum United during the Asean Club Championships. — Terengganu FC
PETALING JAYA: Conceding four goals in 16 minutes is a no-no in football, especially in a regional competition like the Asean Club Championships (ACC).
That proved to be the downfall for Terengganu after losing 3-4 to Thai club BG Pathum United at the Leo Stadium in Bangkok on Wednesday.
The defeat saw them ending their Group A campaign in third with seven points, missing out on a semi-final spot.
BG Pathum’s goals were scored by Brazilian striker Raniel Vasconcelos (71st and 76th minute), Japanese midfielder Gakuto Notsuda (83rd) and Singaporean international striker Ilhan Fandi (87th).
Terengganu drew first blood through winger Akhyar Rashid in the 65th minute and another two goals were scored by playmaker Safawi Rasid (86th and 95th).
Safawi, who captained the side, was disappointed with the outcome but urged his charges to move on from the setback.
“We are disappointed with this result. But this is football, you will have your good days and bad days.
“We tried till the end to get a result but it is not meant to be for us,” said the 27-year-old, who is currently the leading goalscorer in the competition with five goals.
“In 16 minutes, we conceded four goals, which is not good. The thing is, we have to work on our silly mistakes if we want to get wins in any competition.
“Our journey in the ACC ends, but we have to focus on the league and push for the best possible finish.”
Coach Badrul Afzan Razali also did not hide his displeasure after the game, saying lack of concentration quashed their hopes of getting to the next stage.
“We started well as planned, managing to create several scoring opportunities in the first half, but we failed to convert them,” he said.
“In the second half, the players continued to apply pressure on the home team to chase for a goal before finally breaking the deadlock. I am very satisfied with their style of play.
“However, in the last 25 minutes, I saw the players lose focus and make mistakes, which allowed the Thai club to score four consecutive goals.
“Nonetheless, I praise the players’ never-give-up attitude as they fought back to equalise until the end of the match, but it was already too late.
“Having played on the Asean and AFC Cup stage for two consecutive years in the 2023 season, I believe this is a valuable experience for the players to learn and come back stronger.”
