With a 4-0 win against Ka I on June 28th, Chao Pak Kei, aka C.P.K., claimed their first ever Macau league title with two rounds still to be played. Round 16 of the league also saw late drama with a spectacular Sporting Macau comeback against Monte Carlo.
At the beginning of the season, C.P.K. were in fact the favorites to win the title. The club had the biggest budget and could attract the best players, so it is no surprise that C.P.K. already claimed the title this week with a solid win against Ka I.
Cheng Fung were the closest followers of C.P.K., but they were already seven points behind before this round. Since Cheng Fung beat Macau U23 2-1 on Wednesday, C.P.K. knew that the three points were enough to conquer the championship.
C.P.K. played to win and after 14 minutes Pang Chi-hang scored the first, only for Diego Patriota to double the C.P.K. soon after. Before the end of the first half, the game was already decided with another two goals by Ho Ka-seng. Following the 4-0 lead, the second half was dominated by C.P.K. who did not give Ka I any chance to score.
The fresh Macau champions have finished an impressive path to the championship, starting from the 4th Division all the way up to the top flight. Since arriving at the Macau Elite League, C.P.K. have grown continuously, putting together competitive squads. Finally they achieved their biggest goal.
Match highlights of the decisive game can be found here.
In the other matches of the round, Sporting Macau managed a spectacular comeback against Monte Carlo with a late 3-3 draw. Up until the 89th minute Monte Carlo were leading the match by a three-goal margin, but in the final five minutes Sporting scored three quick goals and achieved a hard-fought draw.
Benfica Macau, who won the last five Macau titles, won against Policia 3-0, while Tim Iec beat Hang Sai in a high scoring 5-2 game.
FIFA decision on the Macau World Cup scandal
Meanwhile, FIFA has confirmed that the Macau national team would be disqualified from the World Cup, awarding a 3-0 win to Sri Lanka. In addition, football governing body also sanctioned the Macau FA with a CHF 10,000 fine. However, the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee did not mention any ban from international competitions, meaning that there is still some hope for C.P.K. to participate in next year’s AFC Cup, since it is known that the club has already applied for the AFC Club License. It is important to remember that Benfica Macau failed to acquire the license last season, so it is not guaranteed that C.P.K. will be able to overcome the difficulties and represent Macau in the AFC Cup.
