Kuching: Macau booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup on Sunday evening with a 4-1 come-from-behind win over Laos at Sarawak Stadium to seal a place in the last four for Tam Iao San’s side.
Khamphanh Sonthanalay gave Laos the lead after just three minutes but goals from Lao Pak Kin and Leong Ka Hang put Macau in front before a brace by Nicholas Tarrao secured all three points for his side, who picked up their second win in a row.
Macau now lead Group B with six points from their opening two games and cannot finish outside the top two places, while Laos remain on three points, ahead of Sri Lanka and Mongolia, who face off in Sunday’s later game.
It took Laos just three minutes to put themselves on the scoreboard when central defender Khamphanh controlled Phouthone Innalay’s low free kick from the right before turning his shot past Macau goalkeeper Ho Man Fai.
Eleven minutes later Ho Chi Fong was inches away from levelling the scores as his shot from just inside the area clipped the outside of the post, and it only took a further seven minutes for Macau to equalise as Lao steered Lam Ka Seng’s long ball from the right beyond Laos goalkeeper Vieng Akhom Vilavong with a deft header.
The sodden conditions did little to dampen the enthusiasm on display and, with six minutes to go in the half, Laos were a whisker away from retaking the lead when Sisawad Dalavong’s left foot strike took a deflection on its way towards goal before hitting the crossbar on its way out for a corner.
And with seconds left in the half Sittideth Khanthavong had the Macau defence on the back foot only for his shot to find the arms of Ho Man Fai.
While Laos may have had the better of the play in the first half, the second period saw Macau in the ascendancy and it was no surprise that Tam’s side eventually took the lead.
Ten minutes into the half Lei Ka Him’s goal-bound header was hacked clear by Khamphanh before, midway through the half, the former Portuguese colony took the lead as Leong capitalised on Vieng Akhom’s hesitancy to gather Lam’s cross from the Macau left.
Four minutes later Leong almost added a third for Macau, only for Vieng Akhom to be alert to the danger, pushing the ball over the bar following the striker’s well-directed header, but with 12 minutes remaining Macau managed to double their lead when Tarrao converted Leong’s low pass into the six-yard box.
And the centre forward claimed his second of the game and his fourth of the tournament three minutes from time when he stroked the ball home from close range to cap a fine second half performance for Macau.
