RHB Singapore Cup: Albirex Niigata(S) vs Gombak United

RHB Singapore Cup:White Swans look to 12th man

Syahrom Sulaiman
info@sleague.com

RHB Singapore Cup preliminary round match number five will be an all-Jurong affair as Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore) host Gombak United at the Jurong East Stadium on Saturday.

Both sides were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season courtesy of Thai opposition – the Japanese side was defeated by Bangkok University while the Bulls were undone by a resolute Thailand Tobacco Monopoly side, now known as TTM Samut Sakhon.

This time around, both teams are confident that they can at least progress to the quarter-final stage of the premier knockout competition.

The White Swans’ team manager Bogdan Brasoveanu is not too worried about how well his opponents are faring in the league at the moment.

He said, “Albirex Niigata (FC (Singapore)) is a young and enthusiastic team and the players are not afraid to meet any S.League team.

“Gombak (United) is a good team and we have to respect the quality of the players that they have in their side.

“Nevertheless, our objective is very simple – it is to win every game. With the support of the home crowd, I am confident that we will do well in the game,” Brasoveanu commented.

Home crowd support is a big factor in this game for the White Swans. They have collected a total of ten points out of a possible fifteen at the Jurong East Stadium, one of which was gained in the impressive 2-2 draw against Brunei DPMM.

Brasoveanu pointed out, “In the game against DPMM, we led twice but they (DPMM) came back against us to get a draw in the end.

“We are capable of playing good football and as long as the players show 100% fighting spirit, concentration and commitment on the field, the result will come naturally,” he said.

The White Swans will have a lot to learn from their previous encounter against the Bulls. An OJ Obatola-inspired Gombak United side defeated the White Swans 3-0 in March’s S.League game.

Bulls’ boss Darrent Stewart is confident that his side can do well in this season’s competition but he is also aware of the possible pitfalls surrounding a knockout cup fixture.

Stewart commented, “I agree with Nasa’s (Nasaruddin Jalil – Balestier Khalsa Head Coach) comment the other day. It’s (RHB Singapore Cup game) different from a normal type of league game.

“It’s a knockout game - one loss and that’s it for you. Nevertheless, our preparations are not different from any other game.

“We do have penalty-shooting practices today and tomorrow but other than that, there are not many changes to our training preparations,” he said.

With both sides at full strength and fully rested, the players are ready to do battle and provide an attacking spectacle this Saturday.

Stewart states his side’s objective, “We just want to do well in any competition that we go into. I am definitely looking forward to the game.”