Kitchee’s AFC Champions League journey ends as Daegu FC beat United City

Hong Kong side needed United City to beat South Koreans to progress to last 16 as one of best runners-up

Comfortable 4-0 win over Philippines debutants sees K-League side through to first knockout stage

Reading Time:2 minutes

Kitchee players celebrate a goal in the 2021 AFC Champions League bubble in Thailand. The Hong Kong side missed out on the knockouts despite finishing second in group J. Photo: AFC

Published: 11:51am, 12 Jul 2021Updated: 11:51am, 12 Jul 2021

Hong Kong Premier League champions Kitchee saw their slim hopes of a first AFC Champions League knockout appearance end with Daegu’s 4-0 win over United City on Sunday evening.

Kitchee, who drew 0-0 with Japan’s Cerezo Osaka in their final group game on Friday needed results to go their way in the final matches in groups H and I to go through as one of the Eastern Zone’s three best runners-up.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors did the Hong Kong side a favour by beating Japan’s Gamba Osaka on Saturday so it all fell to Daegu’s game against United City.

The K-League side were clear favourites going into the match against the debutants from the Philippines and the predictions were proved correct, with the goals coming from Tsubasa Nishi, Lee Keun-ho, Edgar and Jeong Chi-in.

Daegu, who had never made the last 16 before, join their three fellow South Koreans to make it a clean sweep for K-League sides in this year’s AFC Champions League, which is being played in a bubble in Thailand.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x