PETALING JAYA: Interim Selangor coach Christophe Gamel’s decision to give young players valuable exposure was justified when the Red Giants earned a fighting 1-1 draw against Bangkok United in the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday.
Selangor went into the match with no chance of progressing after four straight defeats, but Gamel stayed committed to his plan of using several young players.
“I’m not afraid to use young players. The team must trust everyone,” he said.
“They need to improve if they want a permanent place. We are still inconsistent, but we are learning.”
Bangkok opened the scoring in the 51st minute when Rungrath Poomchantuek finished a neat move.
Goalkeeper Kalamullah Al-Hafiz was outstanding, making seven important saves to deny Bangkok further goals.
In defence, Mamadou Diarra played a key role with six clearances and four recoveries, giving stability to a young Selangor side still learning at this level.
Selangor’s persistence was rewarded deep in stoppage time when Chrigor Moraes scored a 94th-minute equaliser.
Gamel was pleased with the draw, especially after Selangor lost in the final seconds against Persib in their previous match.
“At least we have one point against Bangkok. We must continue this in the next match,” he said.
Selangor now turn their focus to the FA Cup semi-final second leg against Sabah at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Sunday. The match will be played behind closed doors following FAM’s stadium ban.
