On Saturday (March 1), in the Kwong Chung Bus 60th Anniversary FA Cup quarter-finals clash at Mong Kok Stadium, Tai Po fought back from two goals down to hold Kitchee to a 2:2 stalemate in regulation time before clinching a dramatic 3:2 victory in extra time to book their place in the semi-finals.

Kitchee threatened early after the opening whistle. In the 7th minute, Sherzod Temirov dispossessed an opponent in the danger area and unleashed a shot, only to be denied by the goalkeeper's outstretched leg.

Kitchee broke the deadlock in the 14th minute when Fernando Augusto latched onto Rey Aaron's delivery and fired a sublime right-footed strike from outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner, putting Kitchee 1:0 ahead.

Kitchee doubled their advantage in the 26th minute as Lam Lok Kan Jordan whipped in a pinpoint free kick from the right flank, allowing Sherzod Temirov to power home a header for a 2:0 lead.

Tai Po's first genuine opportunity came in the 29th minute when Patrick Peral de Lima collected Bah Habib's pass and unleashed a curling left-footed effort from the edge of the area that whistled just wide of the upright.

Tai Po pulled one back in the 39th minute when Lee Ka Ho delivered an inviting cross from the right wing, finding Chan Siu Kwan Philip unmarked at the far post to nod home and reduce the deficit to 1:2.

Tai Po nearly leveled before the interval when Igor Sartori swung in a corner from the right, Gabriel Roberto rose highest to meet it, but Bae Jaewoo made a crucial goal-line clearance with a diving header.

Kitchee entered the dressing room with a slender 2:1 advantage at the break.

Tai Po seized control after the restart. In the 66th minute, Igor Sartori delivered a dangerous set-piece from the right flank, with Chan Siu Kwan Philip's powerful header forcing a spectacular save from the goalkeeper.

Tai Po continued to mount pressure as Kevin Padilla threaded a ball into the box, only for Chan Siu Kwan Philip's goal-bound effort to be heroically blocked by a defender.

In the 72nd minute, Tai Po's Lee Ka Ho received a long ball from deep, surged into the penalty area, and unleashed a venomous strike that the keeper brilliantly tipped over the crossbar.

The equalizer finally arrived in the 83rd minute when Igor Sartori delivered a pin-point corner from the left, allowing Chan Siu Kwan Philip to sweep home his brace with a clinical finish, restoring parity at 2:2.

With nothing separating the sides after 90 minutes, the contest headed into an additional 30 minutes of extra time.

Tai Po maintained their momentum in the first period of extra time. Bah Habib collected a layoff from Chan Siu Kwan Philip before unleashing a rasping drive from range that flashed agonizingly wide. Later, Weverton Ribeiro connected with Chung Wai Keung's headed assist, skipped past his marker, and hammered a thunderous left-footed strike that cannoned off the woodwork.

The decisive moment came in the second period of extra time when Bah Habib threaded an inch-perfect through ball into the danger zone, allowing Chan Siu Kwan Philip to spin and drill a low right-footed drive into the far corner, completing a magnificent hat-trick and giving his side a precious 3:2 advantage.

Tai Po successfully defended their slender lead until the final whistle, stunning Kitchee by 3:2 to secure their ticket to the FA Cup semi-finals.

Kitchee 2:3 Tai Po