Gabriel Peres scores twice late as Kuching City draw 2-2 with Tampines Rovers on Shopee Cup debut

Kuching City's first ever match in the ASEAN Club Championship ended in a 2-2 draw with Singapore's Tampines Rovers on Wednesday night, after Brazilian defender Gabriel Peres scored twice in the closing minutes, including an equaliser in stoppage time.

The Sarawak side looked set to lose the Group A opener in Kuching after conceding twice, but Peres made sure the Shopee Cup debutants took a point. The other Malaysian side in the competition, Johor Darul Ta'zim, begin their Group B campaign at home tonight.

A late finish in Kuching

Tampines went ahead in the 13th minute. Hide Higashikawa crossed from the right, the ball was headed back up into the danger zone, and Furusawa volleyed in from close range.

Kuching, coached by Aidil Sharin Sahak, had chances to level before the break. Safawi Rasid tested Tampines goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad from distance and Petrus Shitembi headed over. In the second half Zharfan also kept out a close-range header from Peres, and Jerome Etame curled a shot just over.

The equaliser finally came four minutes from time, when Peres hit a shot from around 25 yards that took a deflection off a defender and beat Zharfan. Tampines answered almost immediately. Kuching goalkeeper Haziq Nadsli gave the ball away, and Kohya Kazama exchanged passes with Higashikawa before scoring to make it 2-1 to the visitors.

Peres had the last word. In the third minute of stoppage time he turned João Pedro's cross from the right inside the post to make it 2-2. He was named player of the match and said afterwards that the team needed to focus more, with plenty of games still to come.

Holders Buriram held as Group A opens

The other Group A matches on Wednesday also ended level. Defending champions Buriram United were held 0-0 at home by Indonesia's Borneo FC Samarinda. Paulinho hit both posts with one shot early in the second half, and Buriram finished with 10 men after Narubadin Weerawatnodom was sent off for a second yellow card near the end.

In Thailand, Ratchaburi drew 1-1 with Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City Police. Manh Duc Olaha put the visitors ahead in the 48th minute and Scott Allardice headed in a stoppage-time equaliser from a corner.

That leaves every team that played in Group A on one point after the first round.

How the competition works

This is the third edition of the ASEAN Club Championship, sponsored as the Shopee Cup. Fourteen clubs are split into two groups of seven, and each team plays the others in its group once. The top four in each group reach the quarter-finals. Group A also includes a play-off winner yet to be decided.

Kuching qualified as runners-up to JDT in last season's Malaysia Super League. Their next Group A match is at home to Borneo FC Samarinda on 9 December.

JDT start Group B tonight

Johor Darul Ta'zim host Cambodia's Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim tonight (Thursday 8 October), kick-off 8pm Malaysia time. JDT's group also includes Thailand's Port, Singapore's Lion City Sailors, Vietnam's Cong An Ha Noi and Indonesia's Persib Bandung, plus a play-off winner.

Two other Group B games are also on Thursday. Lion City Sailors host Cong An Ha Noi at Jalan Besar Stadium at 7.30pm, and Port play Persib in Pathum Thani at 8pm (both Malaysia time).

Key takeaways

• Kuching City drew 2-2 with Tampines Rovers in their first ever ASEAN Club Championship match.
• Gabriel Peres scored both Kuching goals, the second in the third minute of stoppage time.
• Every Group A game on matchday one was drawn, including holders Buriram United's 0-0 with Borneo FC Samarinda.
• JDT open their Group B campaign at home to Svay Rieng tonight at 8pm Malaysia time.

FAQ

Who scored for Kuching City against Tampines Rovers? Gabriel Peres scored both goals, a deflected long-range shot late on and a finish from João Pedro's cross in stoppage time.

How many teams reach the knockout stage of the ASEAN Club Championship? The top four clubs in each of the two seven-team groups go through to the quarter-finals.

When do JDT play their first Shopee Cup group match? JDT host PKR Svay Rieng at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim on Thursday 8 October, kick-off 8pm Malaysia time.

Sources: ASEAN United FC, ASEAN Football Federation, Bernama, Tickethotline