Shanghai coach in SAF warning

AFC Champions League 2009

SHANGHAI: Shanghai Shenhua manager Jia Xiuquan warned his players to not take anything for granted when they tackle AFC Champions League debutants Singapore Armed Forces in their opening Group G clash on Wednesday.

Shenhua host their Singaporean opponents at the Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai and are keen to improve on their performance in their last appearance in the tournament in 2007, when they failed to progress beyond the group stage.

The Chinese side’s task will not be easy however with Korea Republic champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings and J.League winners Kashima Antlers their other opponents in the group.

Consequently, coach Jia insists nothing less than a victory on Wednesday night will do if they are to harbour hopes of making it to the knockout stages.

“We have no choice but to claim three points on Wednesday,” he said. “If we can’t win, we will have a slim chance of qualifying.

“They (Singapore Armed Forces) are not a strong team but they are not weak either. We shouldn’t expect an easy win.”

Shenhua will be without young striker Gao Lin, who chose not to renew his contract with the club.

But Jia believes his side are still strong enough to challenge Suwon and Kashima for a place in the next stage of the AFC Champions League.

“Among the three rivals, Singapore Armed Forces are the weakest and we will have an advantage (over the other two teams) if we make a successful start at home,” he added.

“But we will fight to the bitter end in each and every one of the AFC Champions League games.”

Shenhua’s new signing Vyacheslav Hleb of Belarus, younger brother of Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb, insists he will give his all to help the team qualify from the group.

“Shenhua were the underdogs compared to the Korean and Japanese sides,” Hleb said. “But we are on an equal footing with them now because of me.”

Singapore Armed Forces midfielder Therdsak Chaiman, however, refused to entertain thoughts that his side are the weakest in the group.

“In our group, Kashima Antlers, Suwon Bluewings and Shanghai Shenhua are all teams that have competed at the top level in Asia almost every year,” said the former Thai captain.

“But we must not think that we are the weakest. I think SAF are capable of pulling off a surprise in at least one or two of the games.”

Meanwhile, coach Richard Bok believes his players need to step up their game if they are not to become the whipping boys of the group.

“Now that we are finally in the ACL, we have to step up our game by another level if we are to make an impression in the group,” he said.

“It will be a steep learning curve for us as the other teams are definitely much better than us.”