AFC Cup: Hong Kong international Wu apologises after blowing chance to send Eastern into inter-zone final
- Long Lions lost 1-0 to PFC Sogdiana of Uzbekistan, who move on to the inter-zone final
- Coach Roberto Losada says he is proud of how his players performed
Hong Kong international Wu Chun-ming apologised to fans after they bowed out of the 2022 AFC Cup following a 1-0 defeat by PFC Sogdiana in Uzbekistan on Tuesday night.
A late header by Shakhruz Norkhonov sank the visitors with five minutes remaining, and sent the home side into the inter-zone final, where they will face either ATK Mohun Bagan or Kuala Lumpur City.
Wu had the opportunity to put his side ahead just before half-time, but his shot from inside the box was easily saved by Sogdiana goalkeeper Milan Mitrovic.
“I did not realise the goalkeeper had lost already his position before I attempted to score, and I was a bit rushed making the shot which I should have done better with,” the midfielder said.
“We spent a lot of effort defending, which meant we did not have too many chances like this, but I squandered it and felt a bit disappointed.
“Sogdiana are strong but not a team that we cannot handle. They moved quickly with high mobility, but we were able to cope with them well and did not allow their key players to perform. The goal was a bit unlucky for us I would say.”
But Wu said they had taken something out from such a high-tempo game and appealed to the club’s fans who watched them on television to continue to support them in the Hong Kong Premier League.
