AFC Champions League: Kitchee make history as first Hong Kong team to reach last 16 after dramatic draw with Vissel Kobe
- A 2-2 draw is good enough for Hong Kong Premier League side Kitchee to qualify as one of three best runners-up
- Raul Baena heads home dramatic equaliser in added time, with Kitchee’s hopes seemingly gone
Kitchee made history by becoming the first Hong Kong side to reach the AFC Champions League last 16 after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Vissel Kobe of Japan in their final group game in Buriram, Thailand on Sunday.
Raul Baena headed home from a corner in added time, giving Kitchee the point they needed to reach the round of 16, for the first time since the Hong Kong champions started playing in the continental top-tier cup competition in 2015.
Kitchee twice came from a goal behind to make history, and the only dampener on the evening was the red card Baena received minutes after his dramatic equaliser, which rules him out of the next game.
“We have worked very hard for this moment and I think we deserve it as we did an amazing job,” Baena said. “I’m very happy for the club, fans and all of us. Everybody gave their best.”
Baena’s goal came just three minutes after Yoshinori Muto had headed home, also from a corner, to give Kobe a 2-1 lead on 87 minutes.
The Japanese side still finished top of the group with eight points, with Kitchee on seven. Hosts Chiangrai United finished bottom of the group with one point.
The first two goals came in the final stages of the first half, with Kobe’s Brazilian player Lincoln Santos scoring a penalty against the run of play on 44 minutes.