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Calcutta: East Bengal and Vietnam’s Sai Gon Xuan Thanh remained three points clear at the top of AFC Cup Group H after sharing a goalless draw, at the Ho Chi Minh City, on Wednesday.
The draw ended East Bengal’s 10-match losing streak in away matches of the AFC Cup. Sai Gon dominated a tight contest as Tran Tien Dai’s side looked to follow up last week’s 3-2 win over Singapore’s Tampines Rovers, but the home side failed to find a breakthrough as Nigerian striker Emeka Oguwike and Cameroonian frontman Christian Amougou wasted the best chances for the Vietnamese Cup winners.
East Bengal, meanwhile, built on ending their 21 games winless streak in the AFC Cup against Malaysia’s Selangor with a hard-fought away point to remain alongside Sai Gong at the top of the table after Selangor and Tampines shared a 3-3 draw in Malaysia.
“It’s a pity because we did not win the game,” said East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan. “We played well in the first half, but then struggled to keep possession. But the result is not bad and I am satisfied with four points after two games.”
East Bengal’s first real chance arrived three minutes later as Sai Gon goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong comfortably dealt with a shot from Penn Orji. The Nigerian was the most impressive of all East Bengal players.
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