Thailand, 7 Oct 2026 – Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC were denied a winning start to their ASEAN Club Championship 2026/27 campaign after Ratchaburi struck deep into stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw in Thailand on October 7.
Making their first appearance in the regional club competition, Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC travelled to Dragon Solar Park determined to begin their Group A campaign with all three points. The visitors made an energetic start and were willing to play attacking football against their Thai hosts, producing an open contest from the early stages.
Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC fielded a strong line-up featuring foreign players Aldair Ferreira, Jason Cummings and Kevin Yamga, alongside recently naturalised forward Olaha Manh Duc. The Vietnamese side enjoyed several periods of superiority and created problems for Ratchaburi, with Manh Duc proving particularly dangerous as the highest player in the visitors’ attack.
Having spent several years playing in the V.League 1 before obtaining Vietnamese citizenship, Manh Duc used his experience and physical presence to trouble Ratchaburi’s defence throughout the first half. He came agonisingly close to opening the scoring in the 45th minute when his powerful long-range effort beat the goalkeeper but struck the post.
The breakthrough eventually arrived just three minutes after the restart. Manh Duc found the net with an impressive finish to put Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC 1-0 ahead and reward the visitors for their positive approach.
Ratchaburi responded by pushing more players forward in search of an equaliser. Head coach Totchtawan Srimaka made a series of substitutions designed to increase the hosts’ attacking threat, forcing Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC deeper into their own half. Goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang subsequently came under increasing pressure as Ratchaburi created a series of opportunities.
The hosts thought they had equalised in the 66th minute when Le Giang was beaten, but the goal was eventually ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC survived that scare and appeared increasingly likely to hold on for a valuable away victory as the match entered stoppage time.
However, Ratchaburi finally found their equaliser in the 92nd minute. Following a corner routine, Scott Allardice rose to head home from close range, beating Le Giang and dramatically denying the Vietnamese side all three points.
The final whistle confirmed a 1-1 draw, leaving Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC to settle for a point after coming within minutes of securing victory on their ASEAN Club Championship debut.
VSN/RPT
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