AFC Cup 2020: Substitute Than Paing scores late winner as Yangon United edge Hougang 1-0

The Myanmar National League side came out of the blocks flying with the lively Maung Maung Lwin testing Hougang goalkeeper Khairulhin Khalid early on with a long ranger cutting in from the left before Ernest Barfo headed wide from corner in the fifth minute.

Ghanaian forward Barfo produced a save out of Khairulhin again in the 10th minute by turning in a delightful cross from skipper Maung Lwin before Jordan Vestering cleared the lines to avoid damages for the visiting Hougang side.

Barfo then collected a loose ball at the edge of the area in the 22nd minute before firing in a cross to Aung Kyaw Naing whose shot went wide under pressure from Zachary Anderson. Kyaw Naing failed to hit the target again four minutes later arriving in the box unmarked to send an Emmanuel Ikechukwu cross wide.

Yangon continued to probe for an opener, but failed to find a way past Khairulhin who produced a stunning effort to deny Ikechukwu’s close-range header from a Maung Lwin cross in the dying moments of the first period.

Second half began on the same note with Ernest Congo heading over from a corner kick two minutes in, but a goal continued to remain elusive for the 2019 Aung San Shield winners.

Hougang, who were looking out of their depth at the Thuwunna, had a rare opportunity in the 75th minute when substitute Shawal Anuar got inside the box and cut the ball back to Sahil Suhaimi whose effort was first blocked by the Yangon defence before he headed wide on the follow up.

But the Lions finally broke through with 10 minutes left to play as the impressive Maung Lwin teed up substitute Than Paing who toe-poked it into the back of the net after a touch inside the box.

With their second win, Yangon now have seven points from three matches while the Cheetahs have three points with just one win, coming against Lao Toyota FC.

Starting XI:

YANGON UNITED: Sann Sat Naing, Thein Than Win, Zar Ni Htet, Thu Rein Soe, Ernest Aboubacar Congo, Maung Maung Win, Aung Kyaw Naing (Zin Min Tun 71′), Maung Maung Lwin, Shori Murata (Nyein Chan Aung 79′), Ernest Barfo, Emmanuel Ikechukwu (Than Paing 65′)

HOUGANG UNITED: Khairulhin Khalid, Anders Aplin, Nazrul Nazari, Jordan Vestering (Shawal Anuar 69′), Zachary Anderson, Afiq Noor, Anumanthan Kumar, Shahfiq Ghani, Hafiz Sujad, Sahil Suhaimi, Stipe Plazibat