Bok salutes performance, stresses need to learn

Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com

SAFFC coach Richard Bok saluted his players’ determined defensive display as his team went down 1-4 to Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua, adding that the game had shown the difference in level between the S.League and top-level Asian football.

The S.League kingpins, appearing in the AFC Champions League for the first time, had been labelled as ‘under-underdogs’ by their own coach going into this match, but managed to restrict Shenhua to a single goal for nearly 75 minutes.

That goal came as a consequence of a penalty awarded against fullback Hafiz Osman for handling a goalbound shot, although television replays indicated the offence was probably not deliberate.

Bok himself had doubts it was a clear case, although he noted that having lost Hafiz for over an hour only underlined how bravely the other players performed against the odds.

“The penalty looked harsh; I can’t see the handball, because it was really messy with the ball bouncing around among so many people,” he said, trying to recall the incident.

“And the red card to Hafiz definitely gave Shanghai an advantage. It was already difficult enough playing such a big team with eleven men, but to have only ten men for almost 70 minutes was even harder.

“Having said that, though, we defended well and were very organized, and we even equalized with only ten men on the field. We even thought for a time that we can hold on to the 1-1, but a lack of concentration in the last quarter-hour eventually let us down.

“Still, I think we gave a good account of ourselves considering the level of the opponents. Even the Chinese media said we earned their respect with this performance.”

Bok went on to note that the match opened his eyes to the difference in standards his charges had to deal with, noting that not even their experience in the AFC Cup could compare with being in the ACL.

He then warned that even sterner tests await when they face Korean champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings next week, before facing J-League kings Kashima Antlers in April.

“This is definitely a steep learning curve, for the team, for me, as well as for everyone else associated with the club,” said the 39-year-old.

“This is a totally different level from the S.League, and as the last three goals showed, even the smallest of differences count. We get away with many mistakes when we play in the S.League, and even in the AFC Cup, but here, we can get punished.

“Not only do we have to be technically very good, we also have to be fitter than we are now. Teams at this level close you down so fast, you don’t have time to hold on and think.

“And if anyone thinks we had a hard time with Shanghai, it will only get tougher when we face Suwon and Kashima. Those teams are at an even higher level than Shanghai Shenhua.”

Despite the daunting challenges ahead, Bok was nonetheless delighted that the competition has offered his younger players a chance to get much-needed exposure that would inspire them to learn more things and further hone their craft.

While acknowledging that elder statesmen like Therdsak Chaiman and Aleksandar Duric provide the backbone of a competitive team, the former SAFFC midfielder was also mindful of the developmental value offered by the ACL’s top-quality teams.

Hafiz, Shaiful Esah and even unused substitute Mustaqim Manzur have been part of the Warriors setup that won three consecutive S.League titles and back-to-back Singapore Cups, despite the fact that none have reached the peaks of their careers yet.

And Bok believes it is players like these who will benefit from meeting higher-level opponents and being challenged to “play good football” against them.

“We can only look forward and learn from being in this competition,” he stressed.

“Young players like Shaiful Esah and Hafiz have seen for themselves the level that this competition is at. This is a different level, much, much higher than even the AFC Cup.

“They can see that we have to show the confidence to play good football at this level. We must be confident that we can play pass-and-move football, and not just rely on pumping the ball up high to get out of situations.

“To the team’s credit, they have shown this confidence, even with just ten men. Of course, we are disappointed to lose, but the fact that our opponents struggled to win the game shows that we can at least compete at this level even as the younger boys learn.”