AFC Champions League: Kitchee dream over as Thailand’s Pathum prove class above
- Hong Kong champions’ campaign ends with a convincing 4-0 defeat against the Thai League 1 winners
- Kitchee were first side from Hong Kong to reach the last 16 of the continent’s top-tier club competition
Kitchee’s dream run in the Asian Champions League was brought to a shuddering halt at Urawa Komaba Stadium on Friday as Alex Chu Chi-kwong’s side were handed a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing by Thailand’s BG Pathum United.
An error by goalkeeper Wang Zhenpeng handed BG Pathum United’s Worachit Kanitsribumphen a 34th-minute opener and, with Ikhsan Fandi adding a second goal five minutes later, the game was all but over for a Kitchee side who were often second-best.
A third goal from Teerasil Dangda effectively confirmed BG Pathum United would advance to the next round and Chatmongkol Tongkiri’s late fourth added further gloss to a win that leaves Kitchee boarding a plane back to Hong Kong.
The margin of the defeat was significant, but Chu took some satisfaction from his team’s ceaseless efforts despite seeing their hopes of a place in the last eight slipping away.
“Even though we lost, I’m happy with the team because the players were fighting hard until the end,” Chu said. “We made one mistake and this is not good for us, because it made it easier for BG Pathum.
