Malaysian side Terengganu FC were given a nasty surprise by Cambodian champions Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng after the Turtles were beaten 3-2 in their ASEAN Club Championship Group A opener at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium on Wednesday.
Under the guidance of Spanish coach Josep Munoz, the visitors made a rapid start to their group stage opener, taking a 2-0 lead by halftime with goals from Gabriel Silva and Pablo. They dominated the first half, recording seven shots on target compared to Terengganu’s one, and also struck the woodwork once.
A revitalized Terengganu side found a glimmer of hope when Manny Ott reduced the deficit 10 minutes into the second half. However, Min Ratanak’s strike in the 86th minute sealed the victory at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, rendering Safawi Rasid’s stoppage-time penalty meaningless.
The Liga Super Malaysia side were taken by surprise when Svay Rieng seized the advantage just 11 minutes in. A clever backheel from Cristian Roque caught the Terengganu defense off guard, allowing Gabriel to slot the ball past Suhaimi Husin for the opening goal.
Five minutes later, a defensive error in the attacking third by Terengganu led to a shot from distance by Laos international midfielder Bounphachan Bounkong. Although Suhaimi saved the initial effort, he could do nothing to stop Pablo’s follow-up, making it 2-0.
The situation nearly worsened for Tomislav Steinbruckner’s team at the half-hour mark when Pablo was denied by a busy Suhaimi, only for Gabriel to hit the crossbar on the rebound. Pablo tested Suhaimi again in the 35th minute, while at the other end, Akhyar Rashid struck the side netting in a rare Terengganu counterattack as they searched for a lifeline before half-time.
Despite their efforts, Suhaimi remained under siege, with Gabriel forcing another save in the 42nd minute. Suhaimi’s efforts kept the scoreline at 2-0 as the teams went into the break.
Terengganu displayed significant improvement in the second half and reduced the deficit 10 minutes in when Filipino international midfielder Ott converted a cutback from Ubaidullah Shamsul, offering a glimmer of hope.
As Terengganu began to gain momentum, Svay Rieng pulled back defensively, though Cambodian goalkeeper Vireak Dara remained largely untroubled. The Turtles’ hopes for a comeback were shattered in the 86th minute when substitute Min Ratanak curled a left-footed shot past Suhaimi to make it 3-1.
The match ended on a tense note when Dara conceded a penalty for a foul on Nnabuike Chukwu Chijioke, which Safawi converted in stoppage time. However, Terengganu’s chance for another penalty was overturned by VAR after the ball struck Kouch Dani’s hand in the box, allowing Svay Rieng to hold on for the victory and all three points.
Group A’s other matches saw Indonesian and Thai powerhouses PSM Makassar and BG Pathum United playing out a 0-0 draw at the Batakan Stadium in Balikpapan, while Dong A Thanh Hoa of Vietnam saw-off the challenge of Burmese champions Shan United by beating them 3-1 at the Thanh Hoa Stadium.