PETALING JAYA: Selangor’s hopes of advancing to the next stage of the AFC Champions League Two are not over yet despite their recent defeat to Persib Bandung, but it will take an extraordinary effort from the Red Giants to pull through.
Selangor fell 2-0 to the Indonesian side in the Group G match at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium in West Java on Thursday, their third straight loss in the competition.
Interim head coach Christophe Gamel, who is still seeking his first win with Selangor in the tournament, remains optimistic that his team can still progress — provided they learn from their mistakes.
Selangor can still qualify, but they must win all their remaining three matches against Persib Bandung, Bangkok United and Lion City Sailors.
At the same time, Selangor will need plenty of help from other results in the group. Persib lead Group G with seven points, followed by Bangkok United (six) and Lion City Sailors (three). Selangor, who are bottom without a point, must win all their remaining games and hope the top teams drop points to keep their qualification hopes alive.
“The result is disappointing, but it’s not the end for us. We still have three matches to go, and anything can happen in football.
“I can see that the players’ spirit remains high despite the defeat. What’s important now is that we learn from our mistakes and come back stronger in the next match,” said Gamel.
Thursday’s match saw the home side take the lead through Adam Alis in the 29th minute, before Andrew Jung compounded Selangor’s woes with a penalty strike in the 66th minute.
Selangor forward Faisal Halim (pic) admitted he was disappointed that the team’s hard work in training did not translate into their performance on the pitch.
“We were playing away and I admit Persib Bandung are a good team. But we conceded two easy goals — one from a counter-attack and another from a penalty,” said Faisal.
“We shouldn’t be losing this way. We’ve given everything in training but in football, a small mistake can change everything. We have to learn from this defeat.’’
Selangor will get a chance to redeem themselves when they face Persib Bandung again on Nov 6 at the Petaling Jaya Stadium as they look to revive their campaign.
