Ceres-La Salle bows to Maldivian XI

MANILA, Philippines - Debuting Ceres-La Salle FC yielded a 0-1 setback to Maldivian club Maziya Sports & Recreation to crash out of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup Tuesday night at National Stadium in Male.

The Bacolod-based booters failed to stop Ali Sambhooh from scoring the marginal goal at the 81st minute of the playoff match – a long-range shot from the left flank – as they kissed their aspirations to join the main tournament goodbye.

“It was a good game and my players did their best. The difference was that Maziya used the chances they got and we missed ours. But that’s football,” Ceres coach Cha Suong Young said in a report on the AFC website.

Ceres created some good scoring opportunities from Adrian Gallardo and Patrick Reichelt but were denied by Maziya’s goalkeeper Imran Mohamed.

Gallardo slammed it into the back of the net in the extra time of the first half but was nullified and ruled as offside.

Maziya thus beat Ceres for the right to join seeded teams Bengalaru FC of India, Persipura Jayapura of Indonesia and  Warriors FC of Singapore in Group E.

 “We had a good experience in this game and it was our first appearance in the AFC Cup. Maziya is a very good team and I wish them good luck,” the Ceres mentor said.

Global FC is left as the only Filipino club in the tourney, having been seeded in Group G. Global will debut on Feb. 25 at Rizal Memorial.