After a barren first half, Kim Yu-Song, the top scorer of this season and the golden boot winner of AFC Cup 2017, scored both the goals in the 49th and 83rd minutes for East Zone champions April 25 SC, which never lost at home in the AFC Cup.
The misery of sky-blue Bangladesh outfit Dhaka Abahani, the champions of South Asia zone, further consolidated as they were restricted to 10-man one after Mamun Miah got the marching order in the 67th minute.
With the day’s feat, 18 times North Korean champions April 25 Sporting Club smartly reached the inter-zonal final of the AFC Cup for the 2nd time in a row, by winning the zonal semifinals with an aggregate of 5-4 goals in two legs, despite losing to Dhaka Abahani Ltd by 3-4 goals in their first-leg match in Dhaka on August 21.
Bangladesh champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd, which needed just a draw in the day’s match to assure the inter-zonal finals for the first time, were eliminated from the meet with the frustrating 0-2 defeat.
A 32-member Dhaka Abahani Limited team reached North Korean capital Pyongyang on Monday to play their away match.
Earlier, Bangladesh Premier League Football champions Abahani sealed their place in the knockout phase for the first time after being champion of four-team Group E securing 13 points from 6 matches with four wins, one draw and one defeat.
On the other hand, DPR Korea League champions April 25 SC reached in the knockout phase of AFC Cup as Group I champions securing 15 points from 6 matches with five wins and one defeat.