RHB Singapore Cup: Geylang United vs SAFFC

RHB Singapore Cup: Eagles ready to claim Warriors scalp

Mohd Sham
info@sleague.com

High-flying Geylang United will be aiming to translate their scintillating domestic league form into the knockout platform of a cup competition when they face defending champions SAFFC in their RHB Singapore Cup first-round clash at Bedok stadium on Friday evening.

Whilst most teams would be forgiven for approaching a first-round encounter against the current holders of Singapore’s premier cup contest with a hint of trepidation and perhaps even resignation, the Eagles have been on a roll in the league, amassing an impressive ten points from four matches, coinciding with the appointment of Mike Wong as first team coach.

Coupled with the fact that the Warriors are suffering both mentally and physically after two long, arduous trips to Japan and Brunei that culminated in defeats in both continental and domestic combat, Geylang boss Mike Wong is making all the encouraging noises ahead of Friday's clash.

Wong said, “The Singapore Cup is a knockout round and anything can happen. We will go with a game plan that suits us and not them.

“They have had two games travelling to Japan and Brunei but knowing them, they won’t come to Bedok and say they are tired.

“If we sit back, they will come at us and we will be in trouble, because they are the defending champions and they have experienced players who know what they have to do.

“But this is our home ground and they are coming to our place, so we won’t sit back. We are going out for a win.”

Despite the Warriors clocking more miles in the air than on the pitch last week, Wong is refusing to factor in fatigue as a possible chink in the SAFFC armour.

“Firstly, SAFFC are a really experienced team and they played in Brunei four days after their ACL match”, he explained.

“I spoke to some friends in Brunei who watched the game. While SAFFC did not have a very good first half, they came back strongly in the second half so I’m not taking in fatigue as much of a consideration.

Wong has urged his charges to draw on lessons from their 0-2 defeat to SAFFC earlier in the season.

He added, “If you look at that game we played against them, we have to be more organized and take our chances.

“We have to do something productive when we have possession of the ball and make the most of our chances.

“We just have to go out and play our own game and take the match to them.”

For Warriors chief Richard Bok, rest and recuperation has been the order of the day ahead of Friday’s match.

Bok quipped, “I myself am mentally drained after all the travelling and so are the players definitely!

“Resting is important for us but we also need to work a bit on our defensive aspect and tighten it up.”

Bok admitted that their Bedok assignment represents a potential banana skin for the champions.

“It will be a tough game and we are going through a bad patch but we need to recover from this quickly,” he commented.

“There is pressure but hopefully, the experience we have will carry us through but we definitely want to be more aggressive from now on.”

The Warriors gaffer conceded that motivating his troops for a competition they have twice in succession tasted glory in is a tough task, but he maintained that the opportunity to rewrite another chapter in the club's illustrious history would be a deal too good to turn down.

He elaborated, “I’m trying very hard to motivate the boys but this is a knockout game so anything can happen.

“We created history last year by winning the double twice and the title three years in a row, so this is another chance to rewrite another milestone in the club’s history. I hope this would be an extra motivation for the players.”