APL

There were many scenarios in which De Spinghar Bazan could have advanced to the semifinals. The easiest was to win and they would be in. De Spinghar Bazan did just that. They defeated De Maiwand Atalan 1-0 in front of a capacity crowd at AFF Stadium. 

De Spinighar Bazan was the aggressor all game long, stopping De Maiwand Atalan's attacks with their suffocating defense and dominating possession, keeping the ball 57% of the time. The game was hard fought from both sides, full of severe take downs and overall hard play. The referees had to assert their authority many times throughout the match, calling a total of 24 fouls and handing out four yellow cards. Abdul Manan Farahi of De Spinghar Bazan received a yellow card in the 92nd minute. Goalkeeper Amanullah Toofan, striker Ahmad Khalid Irfan, and forward Mohmood Noori of De Maiwand Atalan were all cited with yellow cards for infractions. 

De Spinghar Bazan got on the board early in the 8th minute thanks to an outstanding goal from Fahim Afkar. He struck the rock from way outside of the goalie's box, angling it into the top right corner of the goal, just out of the reach of De Maiwand Atalan's goalkeeper Amanullah Toofan. This early score forced De Maiwand Atalan to move to a defensive strategy, dropping nine players back every time De Spinghar Bazan would cross midfield. The strategy worked, as they did not give up any more goals but also hindered the De Maiwand Atalan attack. The few chances De Maiwand Atalan did have at goal, they missed.

Now that De Spinghar Bazan has locked up the last semifina spot, they will join De Maiwand Atalan, Shaheen Asmayee, and Oqaban Hindukosh in the playoffs. The first semifinal match will kick off this Monday, September 22nd at AFF Stadium.   

To watch the best moments of the match, see the video highlights of the day, below.