International Promoted
Grilled International followed in Farmer Bunnies' footsteps, as they secured the title - and automatic promotion to the fourth division - with a 5-2 away victory at Mahabas FC. Despite a close battle being touted, the Filipino hosts would be 0-3 down by the 33rd minute, with overworked Italian centreback Giuseppe Ventrella moreover lost to a knee concern.
Enrico Cerulli - who had just won his first cap with the Italian U-20 - would then pull one back for Mahabas, but International's own former wonderkid
Fausto Perono would ram a penalty home in the 67th minute, in belated response. Leopoldo Meschini and
Safari bin Hj Jali got the remaining goals, with Felipe Pérez badly tweaking his left leg in trying to stop the latter's strike.
Tibor Atzenhain and
Wang Hanxuan's earlier goals meant that they would share the league Golden Boot in a three-way tie with Farm Football Global's Gunnar Ostau, with all three finishing on fourteen goals each. This was without question a delight for Atzenhain, whose headed contribution from Perono's nifty cross also came in his hundredth appearance for the club. "Merry Christmas to me!"
Today also saw
Chua Jun Long's seventh youth cap, still at fullback, as Brunei drew one-all with their Azerbaijan counterparts. Jamal bin Hj Salam scored a long-range flier in only the fourth minute, but the visitors' Elşad Bağırov answered on the counter.
