Football

HCM City players celebrate their goals scoring in the 5-4 win over Abu Dhabi Country Club in the AFC Women's Champions League on March 22. Photo 24h.com.vn

HCM CITY —

HCM City staged an extraordinary comeback on March 22 to book their place in the semi-finals of the AFC Women’s Champions League.

Playing on their home turf at Thống Nhất Stadium, the hosts triumphed over Abu Dhabi Country Club from the United Arab Emirates in a gripping 5-4 quarter-final match.

HCM City will face the winner of the tie between Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies and China's Wuhan Jiangda Women's FC on May 21.

The match began with HCM City under immense pressure as Abu Dhabi made early advances. Rashida Ibrahim narrowly missed her shot, sending the ball just wide of the right post. Moments later, Abu Dhabi managed to breach the home side’s defense, putting HCM City on the back foot.

The goal came after some brilliant work in the third minute by Princella Adubea, who collected Ibrahim’s pass before unleashing a piledriver from distance into the bottom left corner as Abu Dhabi got off to a dream start.

Abu Dhabi doubled their advantage in the 15th minute after Salha Al Zaabi’s long-range effort striking the bar with the rebound falling kindly for Toorfah Al Ghafri to slot the ball home from close range.

HCM City tried to claw their way back but efforts from Huỳnh Như, Ashley Tonthat and Sabrina Cabrera all failed to trouble Abu Dhabi custodian Jeane.

The Vietnamese side fell further behind in the second minute of added time at the end of the first half with Eugenia Tetteh nodding home Adubea’s cross from the right.

A determined HCM City upped their tempo after the break and came close to reducing the deficit in the 60th minute when Aubrey Goodwill struck the bar from inside the box.

An injury to Al Ghafri then gave HCM City the edge in the 63rd minute with K' Thủa scoring from close range off a poor clearance from Fatima Jassem.

HCM City scored their second goal four minutes later courtesy off defender Chương Thị Kiều’s glancing header but Abu Dhabi came back fighting with Tetteh netting in the 74th after Naeema Ibrahim dispossessed Nguyễn Thị Kim Yến before supplying a cross for the Ghanaian midfielder.

But Abu Dhabi’s joy was cut short two minutes later when Trần Nguyễn Bảo Châu struck from long range to beat Jeane at full stretch before Ngô Thị Hồng Nhung drew HCM City level in the 83rd minute following his lob from just above the box.

A buoyant HCM City applied further pressure and forced Abu Dhabi into conceding an own goal in the 90th minute when Ghanima Al Zaabi inadvertently headed Nhung’s cross into her own net to complete an amazing come-from-behind win.

It is a milestone for Vietnamese women's club football as they made last-four appearance in the first time taking part in the continental championship. VNS