Having lost to the Myanmar champions in their previous Group F encounter two weeks ago, the Vietnamese side knew they had to collect all three points to keep alive their hopes of progressing from the group stage, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2014.
With that in mind the visitors made the perfect start when they took the lead in just the third minute when star midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai squared the ball across the box, allowing Pape Omar Faye a simple tap in at the back post.
Against the run of play the home side responded 10 minutes later. While Kyaw Zin Oo missed a gilt-edged chance just a minute earlier, Sekou Sylla made no mistake when he got on the end of a cross from Min Kyaw Khant to bury the ball in the bottom corner and draw his side level.
Min Tun Myo’s side looked in control when they took a 2-1 lead on 26 minutes through Vinicius Miller after a devastating counter attack, but they couldn’t hold onto their lead and two goals in the final 12 minutes of the half from Ganiyu Oseni put Hanoi back in the box seat with a 3-2 lead at half-time.
Nguyen Chu Dinh’s side carried that momentum into the second half and had two good chances to extend their lead inside the first 10 minutes of the second half, but first Tran Van Kien and then Oseni put shots wide to keep Yangon in the game.
But like they did in the first half, the Vietnamese side finished with a flurry in the last 10 minutes of the half with Omar Faye completing his hat-trick with two quick goals in the 81st and 83rd minutes to put the game beyond doubt and seal a valuable three points for the visitors.
With that win Hanoi move temporarily to the top of Group F, pending the result in the match between Tampines Rovers and Nagaworld FC.
They next face the Cambodian side Nagaworld, who they defeated 10-0 earlier in the campaign, while Yangon United travel to Singapore to face Tampines Rovers with hope fading fast of making it out of the group stage.
