Coach Nguyen Duc Thang: "SLNA's second team is strong enough to fight against Persija"
(Baonghean.vn) - Speaking at a press conference before the match against Persija Jakarta, coach Nguyen Duc Thang was confident in his players even though he did not bring his strongest squad.
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| Coach Nguyen Duc Thang and captain Pham The Nhat at a press conference this morning in Indonesia. Photo: INDOSPORT |
With 7 points and ranking first in Group H after 3 unbeaten matches, SLNA only brought 16 players and kept important pillars on 3 lines at home such as Que Ngoc Hai, Ho Khac Ngoc, Phan Van Duc and foreign player Michael Olaha.
Explaining why he did not bring his strongest possible squad, coach Nguyen Duc Thang shared: "We are focusing on the domestic tournament. Other important matches are waiting for us. Although we did not bring all our best players, I believe that my squad is strong enough to fight against Persija in tomorrow's match."
On the side of coach Stefano Cugurra, the Brazilian strategist said: "We have prepared well for the match, we also studied the technical, physical, and tactical aspects. We are ready for tomorrow's match, tomorrow is an important match for us. We have to work hard for tomorrow's match with the goal of winning 3 points", coach Stefano Cugurra shared.
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| Indonesian fans are extremely passionate. Photo: Internet |
Persija’s main striker, Marko Simic, despite being “silent” in the match at Vinh Stadium in the first leg, still believes that the enthusiastic support of the home fans will bring them victory. If they win 3 points, the Croatian striker and his teammates will have 7 points, equal to SLNA.
"I think we have a great chance (to qualify for the next round) because we will face Song Lam and Johor Darul Takzim at home. We are very confident playing at Candrabaga and we also have very passionate fans, so I am optimistic to go to the knockout round," said Simic.
Patriot Candrabaga Stadium is known as a “holy land” of Indonesian football due to the enthusiasm of the fans here. During Persija Jakarta’s matches, there are from 50,000 to 60,000 home fans ready to put pressure on the away team./.
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(Baonghean.vn) - Although SLNA did not bring their strongest squad to play Persija Jakarta in the second leg of the 2018 AFC Cup group stage, the Nghe An team's chances of advancing are still very high.