PETALING JAYA: Negri Sembilan staged a dramatic late comeback with Japanese substitute Mio Tsuneyasu striking twice in the final minutes to stun Selangor 2-1 in the Super League and seal their first win of the season on Sunday (Aug 24).
The Red Giants struck early through Ghanaian defender Richmond Ankrah in the 12th minute at Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi.
Cape Verdean winger Alvin Fortes’ corner sparked the decisive moment when Negri keeper Azri Ghani parried Mo Abualnadi’s header, only for Ankrah to pounce from close range.
Negri responded with relentless probing from Takumi Sasaki, Joseph Esso, Jovan Motika and A. Selvan, but their finishing touch deserted them.
After the break, Selangor turned up the tempo with captain Faisal Halim dazzling on the wings. Twice he found himself one-on-one with Azri but squandered the chances, leaving his teammates to rue missed opportunities to kill off the game.
Negri punished Selangor’s poor finishing when they got the equaliser in the 82nd minute when substitute Japanese winger Mio Tsuneyasu capitalised on a loose save from goalkeeper Kalamullah Al-Hafiz.
Tsuneyasu was the night’s hero when he scored the winner in the 92nd minute with a low-drilled shot off a Hadin Azman cross to gift Negri their first three points of the season.
Meanwhile, in Georgetown, Kuala Lumpur spoiled Penang’s night with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the City Stadium.
Playmaker Safawi Rasid lit up the first half with a mazy solo effort in the 34th minute before Penang hit back immediately after the restart through Stefano Brundo’s header.
But KL struck the decisive blow in the 76th minute when Kamal Azizi Zabri drilled home from distance after a poor clearance.
The City Boys thought they had a third late on through former Penang man Syamer Kutty Abba, only for VAR to rule it out for a foul in the build-up.
Even so, Kuala Lumpur held firm to claim their second win of the season.
