AFC Cup MD6: Group H Preview

There is still all to play for in Group H of the AFC Cup with Malaysian Super League champions Kelantan, Ayeyawady United of Myanmar, Vietnam’s Navibank Saigon and Arema Indonesia all still in the running for the two spots in the Round of 16 heading into the final round of games on Tuesday.

Kelantan hold a three-point lead at the top of the group and only need a draw at home against Ayeyawady to seal top spot and a home match in the last 16.

But a defeat for the Malaysian East Coast side, who are in the middle of the heavy schedule, could see them fall behind Ayeyawady and possibly miss out on the knockout rounds altogether if Navibank win their final match against Arema.

Such a scenario would see Kelantan, Ayeyawady and Navibank finish level on 10 points but the teams from Myanmar and Vietnam would hold the edge over the Malaysian side in terms of the head-to-head record in matches between the three clubs.

And Kelantan coach Bojan Hodak has to juggle his resources for the match at the Sultan Mohammad IV Stadium with a pair of crucial Malaysian Super League matches coming up next week and the Malaysian FA Cup final against Sime Darby in Kuala Lumpur on May 19 - just three days before the potential Round of 16 game.

“We have a very tight schedule right now so we will be looking to utilise our fresh legs tomorrow,” said the Croatian, who will be without Ghanaian striker Denny Antwi due to suspension.

“We have had some players who were not involved in our games against Kedah and Singapore’s Lions XII last week so will give them a chance to play and try to give our other players a rest.

“We have done well so far in the AFC Cup but to qualify for the Round of 16 is a bonus for us.”

Ayeyawady United coach Jozek Herel, meanwhile, admitted he has been surprised by the performance of his side, who are still in the running for the last 16 despite a 3-0 loss at home to Arema a fortnight ago.

“We have been actually been lucky to get seven points so far and if we win tomorrow, we will definitely qualify for the next round,” said the Slovakian.

“But we know that it will be very difficult to play against Kelantan at Kota Bharu and we are expecting a tough match. We will try hard to get a result tomorrow, but even if we get a point I would consider it a good result.

“However, we would then need Navibank to lose at Arema to go through.”

Arema themselves are not out of the running for the last 16 despite only managing one point from four games before their big win in Myanmar two weeks ago.

A victory for the Indonesian side against Navibank at the Gajayana Stadium in Malang and a defeat for Ayeyawady in Kelantan would see them join the Vietnamese and Myanmar sides on seven points but with a superior record in their head-to-head games.

However, coach Dejan Antonic will be without Serbian midfielder Marko Krasic and defender Gunawan Dwi Cahyo due to injury.

“We will be playing without two of our important players – Marko Krasic and Gunawan Dwi Cahyo,” said Arema’s Serbian coach Antonic.

“However, we have to win if we want to go to the next round so we will be trying very hard to get a result even, though Navibank have good quality players and our hopes also depend on Kelantan beating Ayeyawady in the other game.”

For Navibank, the key concern is fatigue following their long trip from Vietnam to east Java, while coach Pham Cong Loc is without suspended captain Vincent Bossou.

“We may have a better chance to go through to the second round but Arema are in a similar position because they also have to win and they are playing at home. We have had a long trip and we came to Indonesia without four of our key players,” said the Navibank coach.

“Let’s see what happens tomorrow. If Arema play an attacking game, then we will have be patient and wait for our opportunities.”

By: http://www.the-afc.com