CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants delivered a strong performance in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2, earning their first point in the tournament with a 2-2 draw against Muangthong United FC of Thailand. The match took place at MBPJ Stadium in Selangor, Malaysia, on Wednesday, October 23. This result marks a significant achievement for Cebu FC in Group H as they look to build momentum in the competition.
Despite being positioned at the bottom of the standings, the Gentle Giants managed to shake off back-to-back losses against South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC and Selangor FC, displaying their grit to compete at the highest level. The draw also served as a much-needed rebound for the Gentle Giants following a shocking 0-1 defeat in the Philippines Football League (PFL) against the unheralded Manila Diggers FC on October 19. That loss dented their hopes of climbing the domestic league standings, but Cebu FC’s performance on the international stage suggests a team growing in confidence and composure.
Cebu FC took an early lead in the 16th minute when Rhino Goutier capitalized on a long inbound pass, heading the ball into the back of the net to put his team up 1-0. They maintained their lead heading into halftime, showing impressive discipline against the Thai powerhouse. However, Muangthong United mounted a comeback early in the second half.
Felicio Brown found the equalizer in the 53rd minute, followed by Emi.