Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bangkok: Coach Rakphol Sainetgnam has emphasised the importance of home advantage as hosts Chonburi Bluewave prepare to take on Uzbekistan’s Almalyk FC in the AFC Futsal Club Championship quarter-finals on Tuesday.
The 2013 champions opened their continental campaign with a 6-3 victory over Australia’s Vic Vipers. Then they turned on the style in seeing off two-time winners Nagoya Oceans of Japan on Sunday in front of a rapturous Bangkok Arena to top Group A and book a date with Group B runners-up Almalyk.
“Yesterday we had over 10,000 spectators and tomorrow I want even more to come,” said Rakphol (pictured), whose team have amassed nine goals in two games to sit second in the scoring charts.
“I was very happy with the results in the group stage and to qualify as group winners. They (Almalyk) are a very strong team and we will have to work very hard; it will be a tough game in front of a lot of fans, but the players are confident they can do the job.”
2016 AFC Futsal Club Championship Group Stage: In numbers
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated clash in the last eight sees defending champions Tasisat Daryaei face off against Nagoya in a repeat of the 2015 quarter-final that the Iranians won 4-3.
Tasisat were made to work for their 4-3 opening-day win over Almalyk, but raised their game to defeat Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen 6-2 on Sunday as Hossein Tayebi grabbed a hat-trick to take his tournament-leading tally to five goals in two games.
“We came through two tough games and now we are ready for the knockout stage,” said Tasisat coach Amir Shamsaei. “It doesn’t matter that Nagoya haven’t won a game as they are always dangerous. But we are here to defend our title.”
Nagoya’s young team, meanwhile, have yet to hit the heights of previous competitions, having qualified for the knockout phase with just a solitary point. But a fighting display against Chonburi will give them hope for the quarter-finals.
“We improved in our second game and I hope this can help prepare my players,” said Nagoya coach Pedro Costa. “They have many players that can decide a game, but we are ready to defeat a strong team.”
Semi-finalists last year, Iraq’s NAFIT Al-Wasat ran out comprehensive 5-1 victors against China’s Dalian Yuan Dynasty on Sunday to leapfrog Dibba Al Hisssin of the United Arab Emirates into top spot in Group C and set up an encounter with Qatar’s Al-Sadd, who finished second in Group D.
“All the teams at this stage are strong, but we have ambition to reach the semi-final; this is our goal,” said coach Haitham Abbas, whose side boasts Iran’s AFC Futsal Championship-winning stars Ghodrat Bahadori and Farhad Tavakoli within their ranks.
Tuesday’s opening quarter-final pits two debutants together in the form of Vietnam’s Sanna Khanh Hoa FC and Dibba with both sides eyeing a historic place in the last four.
“From when the competition started our target was to reach the next round, so every match for us is a final,” said Sanna coach Dang Dinh Khang, whose team scored back-to-back wins over Taipower FC of Chinese Taipei and Al-Sadd to top Group D. “Now my players are confident so I hope they can play their best match.”
Photo: Lagardère Sports