PETALING JAYA: Stefano Brundo produced a captain’s moment when he headed home the winner as Penang edged Kelantan 3-2 at the City Stadium in George Town on Saturday.
“It was a crazy match. We took the lead twice but could never quite put the game away. Still, we didn’t give up and kept pushing until the very last moment,” said the 33-year-old Argentine, who joined the Panthers in 2025.
“I personally don’t like to quit, and I always believe the ball will find me. That mindset has already helped me score 29 goals in Malaysia, so I’ll obviously keep applying it,” added Brundo, who previously played for Pahang from 2023 to 2025.
Penang took an early lead through Filipino striker Javier Gayoso in the third minute after Kelantan goalkeeper Amin Faisal Saidi failed to deal with a cross from Uzbekistani midfielder Bakhtiyor Kosimov.
Kelantan levelled in first-half injury time through Mazwan Che Mat, who finished off a fine overlapping run with a shot from an awkward angle.
French striker Enzo Celestine restored Penang’s lead in the 51st minute, only for Kelantan to equalise again 10 minutes later when Cameroonian forward Emmanuel Mbarga scored directly from a corner.
But Brundo had the final say, heading home a lobbed pass from fellow centreback Faith Obilor in injury time to seal Penang’s first league win of the season.
The victory extended Penang’s unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions, with Brundo urging his side to keep improving.
“Things are going great for us right now. Thanks to hard work and dedication, we’ve gone four games unbeaten, with three wins. However, we need to work hard on our offence and avoid conceding easy goals,” he said.
Penang now face a major test against Johor Darul Ta’zim in the FA Cup quarter-finals, with the first leg at the City Stadium on Sept 20.
“We know JDT won’t be easy at all; they are a tremendous team. But first, we have to believe in our chances, and then put up a real fight in Bandaraya (City Stadium) so we can dream of achieving big things,” Brundo said.
