Sri Pahang FC reached to Quarter-Final round after beating Selangor FC scoring 2-1 in the Unifi Piala Malaysia 2024/25 Round of 16, Second leg at MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya.
Selangor, desperate to overturn their first-leg deficit, began the match aggressively. Alvin Fortes tested Sri Pahang goalkeeper Muhammad Zarif Irfan Hashimuddin as early as the third minute, but his effort was expertly saved.
Despite Selangor’s early dominance, Sri Pahang struck first in the 23rd minute. A contentious moment saw Harith Haiqal penalized for pushing Mykola Ahapov inside the box. Referee Mohamad Kamil Zakaria Ismail consulted the VAR monitor and awarded a penalty, which Manuel Hidalgo confidently converted to give the visitors a crucial lead.
Sri Pahang nearly doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when Hidalgo broke into the penalty box, but Mohamad Azim Al Amin produced a brilliant save to keep Selangor in contention.
The hosts continued to press after the break, with their persistence seemingly paying off in the 64th minute. Ali Olwan found the back of the net, sparking celebrations among the home fans. However, VAR intervened once more, ruling the goal offside and silencing the crowd.
Selangor’s equalizer finally came in the 76th minute when Safuwan Baharudin soared above the defense to head in a pinpoint cross from Fortes, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2 and reigniting their hopes.
The joy for Selangor was short-lived. Just five minutes later, another pivotal VAR decision saw Sri Pahang awarded their second penalty of the match after a foul in the box. This time, Sergio Aguero stepped up and coolly converted, restoring Sri Pahang’s lead and effectively ending Selangor’s campaign.
With this victory, Sri Pahang FC not only booked their ticket to the quarter-finals but also set up a thrilling clash with Perak FC. The win underscores the resilience of the Tok Gajah squad, who absorbed relentless pressure and capitalized on crucial moments to secure the result.
The result handed Sri Pahang a 3-2 aggregate victory, dashing the hopes of Selangor and their newly appointed manager, Katsuhito Kinoshi.
Sri Pahang FC reached to Quarter-Final to face Perak FC, and Selangor FC down to compete in MFL Challenge Cup 2024/25 Quarter-Final to face Kelantan Darul Naim.
Credit Photo : Selangor FC
