Buriram United was eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite quarter-finals following a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Shabab Al Ahli at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday. The Thai League 1 champions fell short despite a late resurgence after conceding two early goals from set-pieces.

Shabab Al Ahli took control early in the match when a corner delivered by Federico Carbatia indirectly led to an own goal by Buriram’s Peter Zulj in the 13th minute. Shortly after halftime, Saeid Ezatolahi doubled the Emirati side’s lead with a close-range header from another corner. Both goals stemmed from set-piece situations, a tactical strength that ultimately proved decisive.

Buriram began their comeback in the 64th minute following a handball by Ezatolahi inside the penalty area, which resulted in a spot-kick converted by Brazilian forward Guilherme Bissoli. Six minutes later, Zulj redeemed himself with a powerful left-footed strike from outside the box, leveling the score at 2-2 and sending the match into extra time.

Despite Buriram’s momentum and belief that the game was within reach, Shabab Al Ahli regained the lead in the 93rd minute. After Buriram’s defense partially cleared a corner, Renan Victor capitalized on the loose ball to score from close range. The Thai side’s efforts were further hampered by a red card shown to Go Myeong-Seok for a last-man foul on Guilherme Bala, leaving Buriram with 10 players toward the end of the match.

Buriram’s head coach Mark Jackson expressed frustration with his team’s susceptibility to set-piece threats but praised his players for their resilience and fighting spirit to recover from a two-goal deficit. “It’s fine margins, but I’m very proud of the players and the manner in which they fought back,” Jackson said, highlighting the team’s tactical discipline and desire despite the outcome.

Renan Victor acknowledged the challenges they faced throughout the match, noting that despite the strong start, Shabab Al Ahli were always going to be a tough opponent. “We didn’t want to concede those two goals, but we made up for what happened and turned it around,” he added.

With the victory, Shabab Al Ahli advanced to the semi-finals where they are set to face Japan’s Machida Zelvia. The other semi-final scheduled for Sunday will see defending champions Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia play against Japanese side Vissel Kobe.