Mikael stunned the world with a sensational overhead kick in the second-half, but it wasn’t enough for Kitchee to take points home from South Korea as they lost to Jeonbuk Motors 1-2 in the 2023/24 AFC Champions League opener on Wednesday (September 20).
Kitchee handed a huge triple injury blow as Ruslan Mingazov, Igor Satori, and Kim Shin-Wook had been left off the squad for their Champions League clash with the K League 1 giants. A goal from defender Hong Jeong-Ho just 6 minutes into the game allowed the host in the driving seat for the first half.
Kitchee had a moment to stun the crowd just literally 10 minutes after the break. It felt as if nobody could comprehend what they had witnessed. Mikael executed a sensational overhead kick from an improbable angle that could have considered one of the classics for the AFC history book. The crowd was turned from silence to a round of applause as Han Kyo-won’s goal 5 minutes after sent the host ahead and saw Kitchee suffered a narrow defeat to Jeonbuk Motors. The group stage matchday 2 will see Kitchee play against Lion City Sailors at home on October 4.