Shanghai Shenhua: Yu Hanchao's winning goal propelled Shanghai Shenhua to a 1-0 victory over defending champion Shandong Taishan in the 2023 CFA Cup final here on Saturday.
Shandong, which has reached the CFA Cup final in six consecutive years and won the latest three, was unable to field a full-strength squad as several key players, including Moises and Jadson, were suspended, reports Xinhua.
In a goalless first half, Marouane Fellaini nearly broke the deadlock, but his close-range shot was cleared by a Shenhua defender before crossing the goal line.
Shanghai scored in the 63rd minute when Yu Hanchao, assisted by Cephas Malele, cut into the penalty area from behind and found the net. Malele had won a duel to deliver the crucial back pass.
Just three minutes later, Shandong nearly equalized, but Chen Pu's header struck the post.
In the last minute of regular time, Shenhua fullback Yan Xinli received two consecutive yellow cards for deliberately wasting match time and entering the pitch without permission after an injury. Despite having a one-player advantage, Shandong was unable to level the score in the six-minute stoppage time.
"Our team prepared well for the match, and all the players were fully concentrated on the pitch in terms of physical and tactical confrontations. We also got a bit of luck," Shanghai Shenhua head coach Wu Jingui said.