Thailand AFC Champions League

Buriram United coach Bozidar Bandovic thanks his team for not giving up until the last minute

Buriram United coach Bozidar Bandovic thanks his team for not giving up until the last minute of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Group G against two-time champions Guangzhou Evergrande.

A last-minute strike by Yoo Jun-Sun earned Buriram United a 1-1 home draw with Evergrande in the penultimate match of Group G with Evergrande last night.

The draw keeps Buriram’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stage of the continental club championship for the first time since 2013.

In the post-match press conference, coach Bandovic expressed his gratitude to the sacrificing spirit of his players.

“In the second half, we have to make some changes to the squad. But I want to say thank you for my team. They never gave up until the last minute. Don’t forget we had to play three games in a week and had two days to take a rest before this game,” the 48-year-old coach said.

“This is not an easy game. It is valuable that we can keep a point,” he added.

In the final game of the group stage, Buriram must win their away game against Jeju on April 17 and hope Cerezo cannot earn a victory over Guangzhou in China.