VietNamNet Bridge – Defending V-League champions Hanoi T&T officially cleared their way to the AFC Cup 2014 knock-out round with one game left to play by defeating Maldives’ Maziya Sports & Recreation 2-1 in their fifth Group F match on April 9.

Hanoi T&T beat Maziya 7-2 on aggregate in a two-legged tie.

The Vietnamese team quickly took control of the game right from the opening whistle, with their spirit and confidence strongly boosted by their emphatic 5-1 first-leg victory over Maziya at Hang Day Stadium nearly two months ago.

Gonzalo gave Hanoi T&T an early advantage with an accurate finish in the ninth minute and Van Quyet doubled his team’s lead 12 minutes later.

The two-goal advantage inspired Hanoi to play more comfortably in the second half, while Maziya put on pressure, determined to equalise the score.

Maziya did not make things easy for the visiting side as Mohamed converted a penalty on the hour mark to narrow the score to 1-2. Unluckily, Maziya was unable to score more goals as time ran out.

With this crucial victory, Hanoi T&T have officially booked a slot in the Round of 16 with their 12 points gained from four wins and one loss. They will play their final group qualifier at home against Indonesia’s Arema Cronus on April 23. A draw is needed to secure Hanoi the top spot in Group F.

In another game played on the same day, National Super Cup winners XM The Vissai Ninh Binh drew 1-1 with Hong Kong’s South China to advance to the knock-out round as Group G leaders.

Source: Nhan Dan