Indonesia’s Bali United and Malaysia’s Terengganu FC played out a captivating 1-1 draw in their AFC Cup encounter at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar last Wednesday.
Bali United dominated possession right from the beginning and came close to scoring in the 15th minute when Ilija Spasojevic had his shot blocked from inside the six-yard-box. Two minutes later, Elias Dolah missed another opportunity for Bali to take the lead when he headed the ball over the bar from Mohammed Rashid’s corner.
Terengganu also had their chances, with the first one in the 21st minute when Habib Haroon couldn’t find the target from just above the box. Sony Nordé then attempted a long-range shot, but the score remained 0-0 at halftime.
The second half was filled with action from both sides. Jajang Mulyana’s long-range attempt for Bali United went over the bar, while the Turtles almost surprised their opponents, only for Nordé to miss the target after Adisak Kraisorn’s setup.
The Serdadu Tridatu, who admittedly has been sub-par throughout the match, finally managed to score through Jean Befolo Mbarga, who converted Mulyana’s corner from close range. Stefano Cugurra Teco’s men believed they had secured the victory, but their inconsistent play caught up with them late into the game as Terengganu responded with an 84th-minute equalizer, as Syahmi Zamri tapped the ball in following Nor Hakim Hassan’s headed pass.