Terengganu FC, a club from Malaysia, kept 1 point in this match after coming back to tie with Stallion Laguna, a club from the Philippines with a score of 2-2 in the AFC Cup 2023/24 Group Stage, Group G at SUltan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, Kuala Terengganu.
Earlier, the visitors managed by Ernest Nierras surprised the home team when they managed to open the scoring as early as the sixth minute through Griffin McDaniel’s free kick which the goalkeeper, Suhaimi Husin, failed to save.
Trailing by one goal, the home team counter-attacked in the 28th and 29th minutes through Sony Norde and Engku Shakir Engku Yacob, but failed to penetrate the visitors’ fortress controlled by Hayeson Pepito.
On the other hand, the visitors who dominated the game managed to add a second goal in the 40th minute through Ngong Stephen.
The goal came from Juan Trujillo’s first-time attempt which was met by the goalkeeper before Stephen easily shot in to give his team a 2-0 lead.
With a few seconds left before the end of the first half by the referee from Lebanon, Ali Reda, the winger, Norde managed to narrow the gap when he easily rejected the home team’s first goal.
The goal resulted from Ivan Mamut’s pass to Engku Muhammad Nur Shakir Engku Yacob but hit the visitors’ defense before the ball landed at the feet of the Haitian-born player to make the score 2-1.
Continuing the second half, the manager of the Turtles squad, Tomislav Steinbruckner included two new players, Mohd Nor Hakim Hassan and Thailand’s national striker, Adisak Kraisorn to replace Nik Muhamad Sharif Haseefy Mohd Lazim and Engku Nur Shakir.
However, the sought-after equalizer has yet to materialize even though Mamut’s header in the 53rd minute from Mohd Nor Hakim’s pass alarmed the visitors.
However, the desired goal finally materialized in the 91st minute of stoppage time through Adisak who succeeded in thrilling the more than 2,000 fans present when his header from Norde’s pass hit the net to make the score 2-2 until the end of the match.
Credit Photo : AFC