South China Morning Post Kitchee aim to build on impressive AFC Cup start against India's Pune Chan Kin-wa High-flying Kitchee are looking to make it two wins out of two in the AFC Cup when they take on visitors Pune of India at Mong Kok Stadium on Wednesday. Kitchee kicked off the regional cup campaign with a bang when they thrashed Tampines Rovers 5-0 in Singapore two weeks ago and now have two home games in a row. "If we win [both], we'll be in the driver's seat with nine points," said head coach Chu Chi-kwong. "But we are also concerned the players are getting a little bit tired, both mentally and physically, after going through two-thirds of the season. We hope they can hang in there and get through this tough period." Kitchee need to tackle three tough games in eight days, the two AFC Cup group H ties sandwiching a league game against Citizen. There was good news for Kitchee as Spanish striker Juan Belencoso, who has picked up 11 goals so far this season, was passed fit after straining his back in the weekend's win over BC Rangers. Pune were held by Nay Pyi Taw of Myanmar to a 2-2 draw at home in their opening game and expect a tough contest at Mong Kok Stadium. "It's a group of good teams and Kitchee are one of the favourites," said coach Mike Snoei. "We have a young team and many of them are promoted from the academy. It will be a fantastic game for our youngsters." The visitors will rely heavily on the speed of striker Rahamat Mustapha, who has played in the Netherlands, Spain and was with Bolton when they were in the Premier League. "We know he is a very fast player but soccer is a team game," said Chu. "We will keep a close eye on him and are quite confident of a home win." Meanwhile, South China cannot afford to lose more points against Kelantan in Malaysia in group G. The Caroliners were beaten 3-1 by Vissai Ninh Binh of Vietnam in their opening game.
South China Morning Post Caroliners must win in Yangon or face elimination South China have not yet won a match and are staring at the worst outcome since 2008 Chan Kin-wa Troubled South China face another tough task against home team Yangon United of Myanmar in the AFC Cup on Tuesday night. While their convenor Steven Lo Kit-sing was convicted on criminal charges in a Macau court last week and may be forced to relinquish his position with the Caroliners, the club is also on the brink of elimination from the regional competition. After two successive defeats in group G, they cannot afford anything but a victory at the Youth Training Centre in Yangon to keep their qualifying hopes alive. "We have to win the match or our future in this year's competition is over," said coach Yeung Ching-kwong. "The players know we are in a difficult situation and will go all out to get what we want. "But Yangon United are not easy to handle as they have some very good foreign players and, with the home-ground advantage, they could well turn out to be the better side." The Myanmar side are second in the table with three points from two games, behind Vissai Vinh Binh of Vietnam, who have a 100 per cent record after two games, including a 3-1 away win over the Hong Kong champions. Kelantan of Malaysia, who beat South China 2-0 at home last week, are third. After playing in Kelantan, the Caroliners went straight to Yangon without returning to Hong Kong hoping to better acclimatise to the heat in the Southeast Asian state. "The temperature can go as high as 36 degrees Celsius here although the humidity is lower," said the coach. "We made the correct decision to come to Yangon as early as possible so the players can prepare better." If South China lose the match, it will be their worst showing in the competition since 2008 when they managed only one win and one draw to finish third in the group. As a result, they failed to make it to the knockout stage. But a year later, the Caroliners reached the semi-finals before Middle Eastern side Al Kuwait halted their march. Their home tie against the Kuwaitis filled the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium, which was the highest overall attendance that year.
Maldivian champions New Radiant got stuffed 3-0 away again, this time to Persipura Jayapura. It's frustrating, but our football association has messed up big time by postponing the domestic season. I worry about the fitness levels of our players for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup. Indonesian side Arema (whose fansite claims they've brought over 5000 fans to watch the match tomorrow against Maziya, though I highly doubt it) landed in Maldives and went on a stroll at the capital Male' to clear their heads. They said they were disappointed to see that the beaches here are not like what they saw on the Internet. If they wanted to loiter on the beach so much, it was a pretty bad idea to stay on the only island where there actually aren't any beaches.
Ravshan Kulob 2-3 That Ras Yangon United 2-0 South China Churchill Brothers 3-1 Home United Kelantan FA 2-3 Vissai Ninh Binh
South China Morning Post Caroliners slump to defeat in Yangon South China are on the brink of elimination but Kitchee have high hopes in the AFC Cup Chan Kin-wa South China face a humiliating exit in the AFC Cup after losing their third match in a row in group G on Tuesday. Their 2-0 defeat by home team Yangon United was also Hong Kong's worst performance in the regional cup soccer tournament since its inauguration in 2004, when Happy Valley lost their first three matches and ended up with three points to finish last in the group. South China coach Yeung Ching-kwong admitted the team were in a critical situation. "We must win the next three games to have a chance," he said. "It's difficult but we will not give up until the end." Playing in punishing heat, South China had striker Andrew Barisic and defender Lee Chi-ho sent off in the closing stages but it had little impact on the final score. Goals from two expatriates, Emerson Luiz (35th) and Cesar Augusto (76th), saw the home side secure the match. Both South China players will now miss the return match against the Myanmar side at Hong Kong Stadium next month. Kitchee, meanwhile, will be able to field a full squad against visitors Nay Pyi Taw, of Myanmar, at Mong Kok Stadium on Wednesday night as the domestic powerhouses aim for a top-place finish in group H. This follows the return of striker Jorge Tarres, who has recovered from a bout of German measles and fellow Spaniard Fernando Recio. Their presence means the home team can start the match with all their four expat players. "It is important to get all three points at home as our target is to win the group stage so that we don't have to play away in the one-off round of 16," said head coach Chu Chi-kwong. "Tarres started training with us on Monday and should be ready. His presence will not only strengthen our firepower but also bolster team spirit." Tarres 33, remains a threat, especially in the AFC Cup, in which he scored 12 goals last year, and he has an aggregate 18 in three seasons so far, including a brace against Tampine Rovers of Singapore in the opening match of their 2014 campaign.
Kitchee 2-0 Nay Pyi Taw Belencuso scored both goals for Kitchee in a comfortable win. Another win and Kitchee is guaranteed a place in the last 16.
South China Morning Post Kitchee remain unbeaten in AFC Cup Hong Kong club are now just one win away from reaching the knockout stage after brushing aside Myanmar side Chan Kin-wa Unbeaten Kitchee moved a step closer to the AFC Cup knockout stage after beating visitors Nay Pyi Taw of Myanmar 2-0 at Mong Kok Stadium on Wednesday night. With Tampines Rovers of Singapore overcoming Indian side Pune 3-1 in another group H match, Kitchee, who have seven points after their latest victory, just need to beat the Myanmese side in the return match on April 1 to qualify for the round of 16. "We won't get carried away by the result although we should have a great chance now with three matches left," said Kitchee coach Chu Chi-kwong. "We will approach the away match with caution, but having beaten them tonight should give us sufficient confidence. "Indeed, I don't think the result is the most important thing as I want to see my charges improve with every match so they can become competitive in the region." Striker Jorge Tarres, who missed a penalty in the early stages of the match, was not too disappointed after the encounter. "I did not score but my performance was not too bad. Perhaps because I had not trained for five days, that might have something to do with it," said the Spaniard, who only resumed training on Monday after recovering from measles that forced him to miss last week's match against Pune. The striker showed no sign that he was lacking fitness as he sent the ball into the net as early as the third minute but that was ruled offside. However, Kitchee did not have to wait too long before getting the opening goal in front of a crowd of 1,800. Tarres' through ball in the middle picked out another Spaniard, Juan Belencoso, who made no mistake with only the goalkeeper to beat after just eight minutes. Kitchee should have extended the lead three minutes later, but Tarres, who scored 12 goals in the regional cup competition last season and a brace in their opening game against Tampines Rovers, missed from the penalty spot after Myanmar defender Obadin Aikhena was found to have handled the ball inside the box. The slender lead was apparently not good enough for the coach and Belencoso, who earned high praise for his attitude on the pitch, got his second goal in the opening minutes after the break. This time he had to thank skipper Lam Ka-wai, who made an accurate cross for him to head home from close range. The home side were in total control for the rest of the match, but missed chances as both Tarres and Belencoso saw their efforts denied by the goalpost. Nay Pyi Taw coach Myo Hlaing Win admitted Kitchee were the favourites in the group. "Kitchee are the best in the group as they are very professional and play with few mistakes," he said. "We played our best tonight but the slippery pitch did cause us problems. "We will host Kitchee in the next match and with a better understanding of the opponents, we will have more confidence." Meanwhile, Beijing Guoan moved to the top of the standings in group F of the AFC Champions League with a 2-1 win over Australia's Central Coast Mariners at Workers' Stadium. Shao Jiayi gave Beijing the lead late in the first half with a fine strike before Peter Utaka doubled his side's advantage in the 61st minute from a tight angle after beating goalkeeper Liam Reddy. Nick Fitzgerald scored from the penalty spot for Central Coast with four minutes remaining, but it was not enough to deny Beijing all three points. They lead the group by one point from J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima and last year's runners-up FC Seoul. Additional reporting by Michael Church
Nay Pyi Taw 1:2 Kitchee Chan Man-Fai and Belencuso scored the two goals for Kitchee and the Hong Kong club are through to the last 16.
Pune 2-5 Tampines Rovers Fanja Club 0-0 Nejmeh Beirut Riffa Club 0-3 Arbil Jaish Damascus 0-2 Kuwait Sc
South China Morning Post South China face must-win AFC Cup clash with Yangon United Anything less than victory will see Caroliners exit the tournament Chan Kin-wa South China face a humiliating early exist if they fail to beat Yangon United of Myanmar in a crucial AFC Cup group G tie at Mong Kok Stadium tonight. The Hong Kong champions have lost all three of their group matches so far and will relinquish hopes of reaching the knock-out stages if they record anything less than a victory against the visitors. "We are facing a no-way back situation," said coach Yeung Ching-kwong yesterday. "We have to win this match, or we are out. It is as simple as that. "There is clearly pressure on the players and the coaching staff but we must turn the pressure into motivation and hopefully with the home advantage, we can achieve something." The domestic heavyweights were beaten 2-0 in Yangon two weeks ago, but Yeung remained hopeful of reversing the score. "We played under extreme heat conditions in Yangon which made us exhausted, but despite the defeat, the players did create a lot of chances. We are now back on home soil and the players are confident they can put up a good fight," he said. Yeung's view was shared by captain Chan Wai-ho, who is likely to team up with Sean Tse Ka-keung in central defence after his regular partner Lee Chi-ho was sent off in the last match. "We deserved more than a 2-0 loss in Yangon, we were just hampered by poor finishing," said Chan. "But we showed marked improvements when we overcame Sun Pegasus 3-2 in the FA Cup last week. Our form is back and our confidence is there." The home side were given extra time to prepare after their league game against BC Rangers on Saturday was called off owing to poor pitch conditions. Neither South China nor the visitors were allowed to train on the Mong Kok pitch ahead of the match in order to preserve the turf following the heavy rains. Yangon head coach Eric Williams recalled bitterly his side's last visit to Hong Kong two years ago when they were beaten 2-1 by Citizen in the same tournament following a last-minute goal by Festus Baise, which the Australian maintains was offside. "We are expecting a tough match as South China are a strong side with a long tradition in Hong Kong soccer," he said. In group H, meanwhile, highflying Kitchee have qualified for the next round with two matches left after beating Nay Pyi Taw 2-1 in Myanmar last night. Spanish striker Juan Belencoso settled the match with 10 minutes left when he slotted home from Jorge Tarres' cross. With 10 points from four games, they are now vying to finish top in the group, meaning they would have home advantage in the last 16. This would be guaranteed if they can beat visitors Tampines Rovers of Singapore next week. Kitchee thrashed the same opponents 5-0 when they met in Singapore in the opening match.
South China Morning Post Kitchee not taking any chances against Tampines Rovers in AFC Cup Chan Kin-wa Kitchee will not take anything for granted against Singapore's Tampines Rovers at Mong Kok Stadium tonight despite needing only one point to win their AFC Cup group. The group H leaders from Hong Kong have already qualified for the knockout round with 10 points from four games, including a 5-0 thrashing of Rovers in Singapore in February. "We were lucky to have met them when they were beginning their season," said acting head coach Chu Chi-kwong, who has already led Kitchee to league glory this season. "They were apparently struggling to find their form and were missing two key players, making life much easier for us. "But Tampines Rovers have picked up quickly and are now second in the group. They also have a great chance to make it to the next stage along with us." Striker Miljan Mrdakovic and midfielder Imran Sahib were suspended for the first encounter. "We heard Mrdakovic is a quality player and his presence will give our defence a lot of trouble," said Chu. Kitchee are enjoying one of their best seasons, lifting the league title with three rounds left, and ready to face South China in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. "We will not have any illusions despite the great run this season," said Chu. "We want to beat the visitors to finish top of the group so we can have home-ground advantage in the one-off round of 16. More importantly, we want more victories in the regional competition, so we can have more ranking points for the [Asian Champions League] qualifying play-offs next year." South China were the first team from Hong Kong to join the ACL this season, but because of insufficient ranking points they had to start their qualifying playoff campaign with away matches.
Not a single Vietnamese journalist attended the pre-match press conference between South China and The Vissel Ninh Binh.
Group G: Kelantan 2-3 Yangon United Yangon qualified as group runner-up, Kelantan and South China were eliminated. Group H: Kitchee 4-0 Tampines Rovers Kitchee was the group winner. Tampines will be runner-up if they get at least a draw against Nay Pyi Taw. Next matches for both Hong Kong representatives will not affect any teams to qualify or be eliminated.
Kitchee 4:0 Tampines Rovers. I am planning to attend their last 16 match at Mongkok Stadium on 14 May.
Reports on twitter saying Vietnamese side Ninh Binh have withdrawn from competition due to a match fixing scandal. Any news?
Seems to be all over the Vietnam newspapers this morning. But until they notify AFC formally, I think we still have to wait to find out.
AFC Cup high-flyers Vissai Ninh Binh have pulled out of their domestic league following the launch of investigation with domestic and regional results under scrutiny V-League side Vissai Ninh Binh have been hit by a massive match-fixing scandal with as many as 13 players from the club now under investigation, including members of the Vietnam national team. Club owner Vu Manh Truong has suspended all club activities while match-fixing investigations are underway. Ninh Binh have also voluntarily withdrawn from the ongoing V-League season, with the club languishing third from bottom in the table. The club's unusual pattern of registering the best first-half results in the league, with as many as five out of eight matches where points were dropped after leading at the break, has given rise to more questions over the credibility of the results. The 2013 Vietnamese Cup champions made their AFC Cup debut this season and have impressed, sealing progress to the knockout stages with a game to spare. However, Goal understands that Ninh Binh's matches in the AFC Cup are also under scrutiny following suspicious results, with the team believed to have tried to fix half-time results. Their recent encounter against Kelantan FA in particular has been brought to the attention of the investigators. Ninh Binh were trailing 2-1 at the break during the match played on March 18 at Kota Bahru, despite the Malaysian side being reduced to 10 men. The match eventually ended 3-2 in favour of the Vietnamese side. Goal understands the players involved have admitted to receiving a total of VND800m (USD40,000) to fix the AFC Cup match against Kelantan. http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3952/asia/2014/04/11/4745277/match-fixing-scandal-rocks-vietnam
Puna 2-0 Kitchee Kitchee's only defeat so far in this campaign. South China 4-0 Kelantan If Vissal Ninh Binh is disqualified, then South China could proceed to the last 16 as group runner's up. But it all depends on the AFC which doesn't seem to want to act. Anyway it is good for South China to revenge the 0-2 defeat they suffered away to the Malaysians.
South China Morning Post South China face anxious wait in AFC Cup after winning final group match Caroliners are hoping group leaders are kicked out of competition for match-fixing, to advance to knockout phase Unus Alladin South China trounced Malaysian club Kelantan 4-0 in their final group G match of the AFC Cup at Mong Kok Stadium on Tuesday night – but the Hong Kong soccer giants face an anxious wait. Goals from Lee Hong-lim (43), Andrew Barisic (75 and 90) and Lo Kong-wai (81) consolidated the Caroliners’ third place in the group. Only the top two in each group qualify for the knockout phase. The Caroliners hope group leaders Vissai Ninh Binh will be banned from the competition after the Vietnamese club were involved in a match-fixing scandal. Meanwhile, already-qualified Hong Kong club Kitchee lost 2-0 to Pune in India in their final group H match.