In a nail-biting quarterfinal of the Chinese FA Cup, Henan FC edged out Shanghai Shenhua in an 8-7 penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw in extra time. Fans across the globe were treated to a roller-coaster of goals, drama, and heroics.
The action kicked off when Joao Teixeira assisted new signing Luis Asue to open the scoring in the 28th minute. Just five minutes later, Henan’s Felippe Cardoso leveled the game with a precise finish inside the box.
After halftime, Frank Acheampong powered a header to give Henan a 2-1 lead, only for substitute Wilson Manafa to volley home in the 86th minute and force extra time at 2-2. The hosts then surged ahead when Teixeira’s shot bounced off the bar and Liu Chenyu stabbed home, putting Shanghai up 3-2.
Cardoso’s second goal of the night in extra time sent the contest to penalties. Henan keeper Xue Qinghao became the hero, saving key spot-kicks — including Teixeira’s — and denying Liu’s attempt in the tenth round. Lu Yongtao’s cool finish sealed the 8-7 win, booking a semifinal clash with Chengdu Rongcheng.
Earlier, Chengdu secured their own semifinal spot with a 2-1 victory over hosts Qingdao Hainiu, despite both teams seeing red cards before the break. Chinese international Wei netted a brace to guide Chengdu through, setting up a high-stakes showdown with Henan.
Reference(s):
Henan triumph in nail-biting penalty shootout to reach FA Cup semis
cgtn.com
