Ridzuan set to face Club Valencia

Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com

Ridzuan Fatah Hassan appears set to start in goal for Home United on Tuesday afternoon, when they take on AFC Cup Group H opponents Club Valencia in the Maldives.

The Protectors custodian’s last appearance in the competition was in May last year, when he featured for a second-string side that lost 1-4 to Kedah FA.

While that match was inconsequential for Home then, as they had already secured qualification into the quarterfinals, the need for a positive result in Male is clear as they try to climb back into the top two in the group in order to progress.

It is thus significant that Protectors coach PN Sivaji is leaning towards handing a starting spot to his second-choice goalkeeper, who has started the club’s last three games in the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League.

Two of those games – against Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore) and the Young Lions – had ended in defeats, although the third saw Ridzuan keep a clean sheet as Home crushed Woodlands Wellington 4-0.

So impressive was he throughout, though, that the club’s backroom staff are working overtime to treat him for a shoulder complaint so that he can take his place on the field.

“Ridzuan will play,” Sivaji told sleague.com with much certainty.

“Based on the last few games, he has been playing very well. In our losses, he did very well; not many goalkeepers could have saved the goals he conceded.

“Whenever he was called to do his job as a goalkeeper, he showed a safe pair of hands and was an inspiration to the team with his performance. And against Woodlands, I think he did well dealing with the height of the Woodlands players and showed no fear.

“He has been complaining of a stiff shoulder for the last few days, and that is a cause for concern. But our physiotherapist and sports trainer will be working overnight to try to get him ready for this game.”

The fact that the 27-year-old is being attended to with such urgency reflects on Sivaji’s emphasis on form when selecting his starting eleven, despite the availability of national No.1 Lionel Lewis.

Sivaji added, however, that he was also keen to give Lewis the rest he had deserved but never quite received due to playing virtually non-stop for club and country for close to four years.

“I really feel sorry for the national players as human beings,” he remarked.

“They’ve hardly had a break anywhere for the last few years, and it will show on certain players more than others. But I think this enforced break Lionel has had has given him some rest.

“He has a problem with his groin, although I don’t know of any other medical issues he might have. After a game, he needs to really rest his groin and get treatment before he can train, so the time he is spending just sitting on the bench is helping him recover better.

“He is looking very sharp, and I can see the hunger and desire in him to get back his No.1 position. But Ridzuan has been playing very well, so he deserves to start this game.”

Apart from Ridzuan’s shoulder complaint, Sivaji reported no other injuries among the party that travelled to Male, although defender Ismail Yunos was omitted from the squad.

The fullback is still recovering from a knee problem that had afflicted him for the past four weeks, and it remains unclear when he will be available for his AFC Cup debut.

Most of the Protectors will be familiar with the Maldives, however, having been here last year when they faced Victory SC – and their memories of the weather then were not good.

They were greeted by rainy weather in the days leading up to the match, only to be exposed to plenty of baking sunshine on the day itself, and Sivaji noted that the same thing may happen again this year.

“I remember the rain last year during training days, and then on the day of the match, it was blistering hot,” he said with an ironic tone.

“It’s the same thing this time around; in the last two days, it rained just before we were going to train. I’ve been told it will rain for the whole of this week, so we will have to see how things go ahead of our last training session.

“We have been promised that we will be given the match stadium to train on as per AFC requirements, but if it rains, it may not be possible. We’re looking forward to training on the grass, but we’ve settled in well.

“We’ve come a day earlier than usual because of the unavailability of flights on Saturday, and because of that we’ve had two good sessions. Sometimes when we’re looking forward to the game, a long wait could be a bother because the players can’t wait!”

If the Home players have an issue with waiting to play their match against Club Valencia, though, they may want to spare a thought for their opponents, who have had to endure an even longer spell without a game.

The reigning Dhivehi League champions have not played a competitive fixture since their 0-3 loss to Becamex Binh Duong on 17 March, as the domestic league is currently halfway through a seven-week mid-season break.

The long period of downtime would likely lead to a lack of sharpness for the Maldivian side, although Sivaji expects them to make up for it by doing the necessary preparatory work to make the most of the time.

“I’m sure the long rest will be a little bit difficult for them,” he reasoned.

“You need to be competitively ready when it comes to playing this kind of game. One good thing for them, though, is that they have definitely had better rest than us!

“If it is the first game in their season, then we may have an advantage. But their season has already started, so while it is not ideal, they are a professional setup and they will be readying themselves for this game.

“They are a decent side, and their past inability to win games will count for nothing with so much pride at stake,” concluded the former Singapore coach.

“They have got some good players, like this foreign striker who is about over six feet tall, and he will be key to their attacking game. Maldivian football is generally very fast and skilful, so we must be at the top of our game to get a result here.”