THE Global Cebu FC has conceded its first game in the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup after getting edged by Thanh Hoa, 0-1, last night at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam.
After several attempts, Thanh Hoa’s team captain Pape Omar Faye, who is also the team’s import from Senegal, was finally able to defeat Global’s defenders when he picked up a cross from the far side of the box in the 74th minute.
Thanh Hoa, last year’s Vietnam League runner-up, dominated the match controlling ball possession but was not able to create enough scoring chances for Faye in the first half that ended scoreless.
Most of the chances that the team was able to create were from a set piece which they couldn’t just quite finish.
In the second half, Thanh Hoa was not able to maintain its pace allowing Global to counter attack.
Thanha Hoa had 15 shots with 9 on target as opposed to Global’s 4 and none on target. The Vietnamese club also had 61.4 percent on possession while Global only had 38.6 percent.
Both sides picked up yellow cards with Thanh Hoa’s Le Van Dai getting booked for an ugly tackle on Curt Dizon, who was replaced by Jordan Jarvis with 10 minutes remaining in the match.
Thanh Hoa picked up their first 3 points of the tournament and will next face Yangon United in Myanmar while Global will play its first home game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium against Bali United on February 27.