PSM Makassar concluded their 2023 AFC Cup campaign on a high note after they had dispatched Sabah FC 3-1 at the Likas Stadium on Thursday night’s match, which saw outgoing striker Everton Nascimento dispatching a last-minute penalty in his final match for the Juku Eja.
Thursday’s game in Kota Kinabalu was pretty much a dead rubber – Sabah had already confirmed their place in the knockouts as winners of their group while PSM had already been eliminated from the AFC Cup – but there’s still the small matter of PSM avenging their heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Rhinos in their first meeting back in October.
The visitors took the lead 15 minutes into the game when Yakob Sayuri fired a right-footed shot into the top corner from 25 yards out, leaving Sabah goalie Khairul Fahmi Che Mat with little chance to save.
The home fans at Likas Stadium had little to cheer about as Sabah struggled to find their rhythm, giving PSM’s stand-in goalkeeper Muhammad Ardiansyah a quiet match.
In the 36th minute, PSM extended their lead when Dominic Tan accidentally deflected Everton’s cross into his own net.
In the second half, Sabah, under the guidance of head coach Ong Kim Swee, switched to a back four and displayed a different level of performance. Park Tae-su tested Ardiansyah with a shot in the 48th minute, forcing the goalkeeper into a quick reflex save.
Despite their dominance, Sabah only managed to break through in the 73rd minute when Telmo Castanheira headed in Saddil Ramdani’s corner kick – the Indonesia international winger having been instrumental in Sabah’s huge win in the reverse fixture.
With renewed energy, Sabah pressured PSM in the final quarter of the match but couldn’t find the equalizer. Instead, right during injury time, the visitors were awarded a penalty, which Everton – who’s set to leave the Juku Eja following the club signing V.League 1 alumnus Victor Mansaray and Ze Paulo during the mid-season transfer window – converted to secure the victory as the Brazilian striker ended his fruitful season and a half tenure at PSM with a bang.