Gwangju FC ride massive comeback into quarterfinals at AFC Champions League Elite
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) — Gwangju FC staged an improbable comeback at home to reach the final eight at the top Asian club football tournament Wednesday.
Jasir Asani grabbed a brace to help Gwangju beat the Japanese club Vissel Kobe 3-0 in the second leg of the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul.
Jasir Asani of Gwangju FC (L) celebrates after scoring against Vissel Kobe during the second leg of the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on March 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
After dropping the opening leg 2-0 last week, Gwangju FC had to win by at least three goals Wednesday and did just that, needing extra time to do so.
Gwangju FC are the only South Korean club remaining in the top AFC tournament. Two other K League 1 representatives, Ulsan HD FC and Pohang Steelers, were both eliminated in the league stage.
Park Jeong-in netted the first goal for Gwangju FC in the 18th minute, when his header, set up by Park Tae-jun’s free kick, floated over the head of goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa.
Gwangju caught a lucky break in the 82nd minute. Vissel Kobe’s Takuya Iwanami was called for a hand ball when the ball went off his right arm in an aerial battle with Park In-hyeok, and the decision was confirmed following a video review.
Park Jeong-in of Gwangju FC celebrates after scoring against Vissel Kobe during the second leg of the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on March 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
For the ensuing spot kick, Asani found the top right corner with his left-footed shot to put Gwangju ahead 2-0 for the match and knot the aggregate score at 2-2.
Then with time winding down in the second extra time, Asani worked his magic with a decisive goal from outside the box that completed Gwangju’s comeback.
In the league phase and the round of 16, clubs in the East and West regions played opponents in their own areas. The eight quarterfinalists will then enter a draw scheduled for Friday, with teams from opposite regions set to face each other.
From the quarterfinals and on, all matches will be played in Saudi Arabia as the centralized host country from April 25 to May 4. The quarterfinals, semifinals and final will all be one-and-done affairs.
By reaching the round of 16, cash-strapped Gwangju FC guaranteed themselves US$200,000 in prize money. They will make another $400,000 thanks to Wednesday’s victory.
Kim Jin-ho of Gwangju FC (R) tries to move past Daiju Sasaki of Vissel Kobe during the second leg of the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on March 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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