SINGAPORE (7 May 2025) – Thailand’s Buriram United FC booked their place in the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ final on Wednesday as Osmar Loss’ side drew 0-0 with BG Pathum United FC to complete a 3-1 aggregate win over their compatriots and set up a showdown with Công An Hà Nội FC of Vietnam.
The goalless stalemate at a packed Pathum Thani Stadium guaranteed the Thai League 1 champions’ progress after their first-leg victory at Buriram City Stadium, and they will now take on the Vietnamese side over two legs later this month to determine the destination of the title.
Công An Hà Nội will host the first leg at the Hang Day Stadium on 14 May before the return is played in Buriram on 21 May. The decisive clash will see the teams renew their group phase rivalry, with Công An Hà Nội winning 2-1 in their previous meeting in Vietnam last August.
BG Pathum United needed an early goal to haul themselves back into the tie, but the closest the home side came was when Freddy Alvarez fired wide after latching onto a ball into the penalty area by Kritsada Kaman, with Curtis Good on hand to provide defensive cover.
Instead, it was Buriram United who looked the more likely to add to their overall total. Peter Zulj thumped a 30-yard strike towards goal, forcing Saranon Anuin to dive to his left to push the goal-bound effort away for a corner.
The Austrian midfielder tried his luck again from even further out later in the half, this time firing high over the bar while a third attempt by Zulj, this time from the edge of the area, was comfortably gathered by Saranon.
BG Pathum United threatened in the early exchanges of the second half when Alvarez’s searching ball released Chananan Pombubpha behind the Buriram United defence, only for Chatchai Bootprom to make a fine single-handed save to his right, gathering the ball on the ground.
Chatchai was in position again to extinguish any late hopes of a BG Pathum United fightback when he pushed Airfan Doloh’s long-range effort to safety as Buriram United kept their hosts at bay to confirm their progress to the decider.
Buriram United will take on Công An Hà Nội in the final as a result of Mano Polking’s side confirming their place in the final with a 2-1 aggregate win over PSM Makassar from Indonesia last week.
Today’s Shopee Star of the Match is: Christian Gomis (#78), BG Pathum United FC.
The 2024-25 Shopee Cup™ is the first edition of the regional club competition, which brings together the leading clubs from across Southeast Asia.
For more information about the Shopee Cup™, please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
