Global creates PH football milestone, wallops stuttering Stags in their ACL debut

MOBBED. Global players celebrate with Imai-san and assistant gaffer Marjo Allado after Misagh Bahadoran scored their second.

By Kevin Estrada

MANILA -- Creating history, one match at a time.

Writing the best opening salvo to the new year, reigning league champions Global began 2017 with a huge bang, creating another milestone for Philippine club football with a 2-0 drubbing of S-League's Tampines Rovers in their AFC Champions League debut in the first qualifying round Tuesday night a the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

In front of 1,120 supporters, majority clad in yellow, Toshiaki Imai's start to his reign got to the best of starts, with a second-half strikes from new signing Ahamd Azzawi and skipper Misagh Bahadoran gave Global a date Down Under in the next round of the qualifiers, with three-time A-League kings Brisbane Roar next week at Lang Park.

Akbar Nawas's side could not convert their first half chances and were made to pay for starting the second half on the back foot, with the loss relegated the Stags to the AFC Cup Group G with Ceres-Negros and Malaysia's Felda United and Vietnam's Ha Noi.

Azzawi booked his place in Global lore in the 61st minute when he received  Bahadoran's pass and wiggled free past Madhu Mohana and blasted the ball into the far post corner.

Ahamd Azzawi sent the Rizal grandstand rocking with Global's first goal in the AFC Champions League.

The Azkals stalwart then turned goalscorer eleven minutes later with  a low shot that deflected on Madhu's boots that sent the Rizal crowd rocking to its feet.

Tampines tried one last chance in salvaging their pride, but Patrick Deyto made sure that it was clearly not the day for the stuttering Stags when his fingertips deny Khairul Amri's penalty right before full time.

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