Welcoming Tampines Rovers, Coach Duc Thang gives opportunities to young players

In Group H, the Nghe An team has the same 7 points as Persija Jakatar (Indonesia), Johor DT (Malaysia) but is ranked first due to the extra coefficient. In the first leg, SLNA defeated Tampines Rover 2-0 right on Singapore soil. And if they get 3 points against this team, coach Duc Thang and his team have a great chance of entering the knockout round.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang is not subjective when meeting Tampions Rovers again. Photo: Duc Anh

Before the match, SLNA head coach said: "When participating in AFC Cup 2018, we have not yet determined whether we will enter the next round or go far, but we try our best in each match. After this first match, we have to move to Ho Chi Minh City to visit XSKT Can Tho in round 5 of V.League.

In April, SLNA's match schedule is very tight, averaging 4 matches per day. This makes me have to calculate somehow, based on the nature of the match, to ensure the best quality for V.League, and at the same time get 3 points in tomorrow's match. No matter which players are on the field, reserve or regular starters, we always have the desire to win, to show the image of Vietnamese football and the SLNA brand. In terms of force, we currently do not have the services of 2 key players, midfielder Vo Ngoc Toan and striker Osmar Francisco. We have sent these two players to Hanoi to check their injuries and hope that Ngoc Toan and Osmar can soon return to the squad."

Midfielder and national team player Yasir Hanapi is a notable face on the Singaporean side. Photo: FFT

On the Tampines Rovers side, although there is no chance to continue in the AFC Cup, coach Jurgen Raab still shows his determination to play well at Vinh Stadium when meeting SLNA. He said: “In previous matches, we were unlucky and received undesirable results. Like the teams in Group H, SLNA is a very strong team. In the first leg, we learned valuable lessons. SLNA players are very good, especially striker Olaha Michael because he is a player with very good physical strength. In the previous loss at home, we made mistakes and gave SLNA too much space to coordinate. In this second leg, we will limit that."

The coach of the Singaporean team affirmed that he will not give up easily on Vinh Stadium. Photo: Duc Anh

"The Tampines squad consists of young players, leading to poor results in recent times. This time, we brought with us 3 Singapore national team players and some players who have played in international competitions. Having this addition will help us create difficulties for SLNA. As for Group H, I think the chances of the teams above are equal. If SLNA wins tomorrow's match, especially in Johor DT, the top spot in the group will be difficult to escape from their hands," the German coach shared.

The representative of Singaporean football has only got 1 point after 4 matches. In the Tampines Rovers squad, there is veteran striker Khairul Amri (33 years old), midfielder Yasir Hanapi (28 years old) and veteran central defender Daniel Bennett (40 years old). After tomorrow's match at Vinh Stadium, the Nghe An team still has 1 decisive match at Johor DT (Malaysia) to keep the hope of going deep in the AFC Cup 2018.

The match between Song Lam Nghe An and Tampines Rovers will take place at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow (April 10) and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports./.

Conceding a goal in injury time, SLNA lost their first match in the AFC Cup

(Baonghean.vn) - Going to Indonesia to play as guests at Persija Jakata, SLNA did not bring their strongest squad, but Coach Duc Thang's students still stood firm for 90 minutes against the home team and suffered a bitter defeat right in the extra time.