Cedric Bakambu named MVP as Beijing Guoan beat Shanghai SIPG … in pool

Pool tournament played between Chinese Super League teams locked in Suzhou bubble, with e-sports next up

Striker gets immediate revenge for Saturday’s defeat as CSL tries to alleviate boredom and toll on life inside bubble

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Cedric Bakambu of Beijing Guoan celebrates scoring against Shanghai SIPG. The striker won the CSL’s Suzhou bubble pool tournament on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:44am, 24 Aug 2020Updated: 10:44am, 24 Aug 2020

Beijing Guoan gained almost immediate revenge for Saturday’s Chinese Super League defeat to Shanghai SIPG with a 2-1 win on Sunday, where once again striker Cedric Bakambu proved decisive.

Sadly for football fans, victory came in the Suzhou bubble’s player and staff pool tournament, an effort to alleviate the boredom of those confined to the same hotel until the end of next month.

In a day with no games in either Suzhou or Dalian, those clubs in the former put forward teams of two each for a pool competition in the hotel where the players and staff are confined outside training and matches.

The tournament was broadcast live online on PP Sports.

Bakambu, who scored the opener on Saturday night before Shanghai SIPG came back, was named the MVP after hitting the winning black ball in the final. His teammate was the club’s Korean translator Jin Hao.

They beat Shanghai SIPG player Shi Ke and Yuan Songyun of the team’s medical staff in the final watched on by many of the CSL’s star names.