Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bandung: Coach Jose Molina has urged recently crowned Hong Kong treble winners Kitchee to focus on the job at hand during Wednesday’s AFC Cup last 16 meeting with Indonesian debutants Persib Bandung at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium.
Group F runners-up Kitchee beat Indonesia’s Arema Indonesia 2-0 in the Round of 16 last year en route to a first-ever appearance in the semi-finals.
But with a third consecutive quarter-final appearance at stake, Molina is taking nothing for granted as Kitchee seek to follow completing their domestic treble after beating Eastern SC 2-0 in the FA Cup last week having already landed the Hong Kong Premier League and League Cup crowns.
“We had a good performance in last year's AFC Cup, making it into the semi-finals. It was really good moment for us and we enjoyed it a lot,” said Molina.
“But it's a different competition now. We will play Persib at their home, in front of their home crowd and at the kick-off time they prefer.
“I think we're a good team and we have played a good competition so far. We can win and I'm confident we can do it.
“Of course, it's a different game from the group stage. In the group stage, you play six matches and you can afford some mistakes. Now, in the Round of 16, we can't afford a single mistake because one mistake can eliminate you out from the competition.”
Group H winners Persib are unbeaten at home in the AFC Cup this year after beating Maldivian side New Radiant SC and Lao FC from Laos before sharing a 3-3 draw with Myanmar’s Ayeyawady United earlier this month.
“I think Persib have really good players and a strong team. They have good and fast attackers. I never talk about one player. Football is a team sport and I'm not worried about one particular player from Persib,” added Molina.
“For me, the most important thing is to play Persib as a team. They play a really good game with strong attackers who can surprise us.”
Indonesian Super League champions Persib were also unbeaten away from home in the AFC Cup this year and topped Group H with three wins and three draws, while Kitchee won their last away game in the competition after beating Singapore’s Balestier Khalsa 2-1 last month.
“Of course we want to win every match by scoring a quick goal. We have our own strategy, so do our opponents. The most important thing is how the players execute the game plan on the pitch and adapt to the situation,” said Persib coach Emral Abus.
“Kitchee are a great team and they have good experience in this competition after they made it into the semi-finals last year.
“We got great help from our support team, who have analysed our previous matches. We repeatedly lost focus after scoring a goal and I have told my players to keep their focus throughout the match.”
Phtoto: WSG