SINGAPORE (24 December 2024) – Age has yet to dull the goal scoring capabilities of Teerasil Dangda, with the veteran forward underlining his continued striking prowess by adding a Shopee Cup Star of the Match Award to his collection of personal accolades during the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™.
The 36-year-old netted the winner in BG Pathum United’s 2-1 win over Svay Rieng FC on Matchday Two to earn his side their first win in the group stages of the inaugural competition and put the Thai club in a strong position to book a semi-final spot when play resumes in January.
Teerasil’s goal moved BG Pathum United FC onto four points from their first two matches in Group A and ensures his team, now coached by Surachai Jaturapattarapong after the dismissal of Makoto Teguramori in October, are level with leaders PSM Makassar of Indonesia in the quest for a place in the knockout rounds.
Only the top two finishers in each group advance to the semi-finals and the battle for those places will intensify when the competition reconvenes on January 8 and 9, with the leading performers from the opening rounds determined to shine once again.
Teerasil was joined on the Shopee Star of the Match Roll of Honour by Borneo FC’s Kei Hirose, the Japanese midfielder picking up his award after a stand-out performance in his side’s 3-0 win over Lion City Sailors FC, while PSM Makassar’s Abdul Rahman was recognised after scoring in injury time in his side’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Shan United FC.
Rahman’s Shopee Star of the Match Award was the second claimed by a PSM player after Yuran Fernandes had scooped the trophy at the end of the Indonesia side’s opening draw with BG Pathum United while Jamaica’s Rimario Gordon was another recipient, claiming his trophy in Đông Á Thanh Hóa FC’s 3-1 win against Shan United.
Brazilian players have dominated the award across the opening two matchdays, with four individuals from the South American nation putting on Shopee Star of the Match Award winning displays.
Pablo from Svay Rieng was awarded for his showing in the Cambodian club’s dramatic 3-2 win over Terengganu FC while Công An Hà Nội FC’s Alan Grafite was recognised for his match-winning performance in the 2-1 victory over Buriram United FC.
Lucas Crispim scored a hat-trick for Buriram in the 7-0 demolition of Kaya FC Iloilo to claim the prize on that occasion and Công An Hà Nội’s Leo Artur was rewarded with the trophy for his three-goal haul in the Vietnamese outfit’s 5-0 thrashing of Lion City.
Malaysians rank second on the list of those to have been recognised, with Kuala Lumpur City FC duo Brendan Gan and Kenny Pallraj plus Terengganu FC’s Akhyar Rashid also winning the award.
The Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup™ returns for Matchday Three on January 8 when Group A leaders PSM travel to take on Svay Rieng in Phnom Penh while BG Pathum United host Đông Á Thanh Hóa and Shan United entertain Terengganu.
Group B returns on January 9 with table-toppers Công An Hà Nội travelling to Manila to face Kaya FC Iloilo with second-placed Kuala Lumpur City making the short trip to Singapore to play Lion City Sailors as Buriram United entertain Borneo FC.
The Shopee Star of the Match award is presented to the best player of every Shopee Cup™ match. Winners are selected by Match Commissioners.
For more information about the Shopee Cup™ (and other major AFF events), please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and X.
