There will be little room for error when Philippines Football League clubs Global Cebu and Ceres Negros attempt to make history in the AFC Cup Asean zonal semifinals starting Tuesday.
Having conceded a late equalizer in the first leg at Rizal Memorial Stadium two weeks ago, Global travels to Singapore to face Home United again on Tuesday night at Jalan Besar Stadium without top Filipino centerback Amani Aguinaldo.
The tie is hanging in the balance at 2-2 with Home United enjoying an edge on away goals.
Ceres hosts Malaysian champion Johor Darul Ta’zim at Panaad Stadium on Wednesday with the Busmen taking plenty of encouragement from their performance in the first leg.
Although they lost, 2-3, in the first leg at Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru, the Busmen picked up two away goals, which means that a 1-0 result in the second leg will give them a spot in the Asean zonal finals of Asia’s second tier club football competition.
“We are so happy with this result because maybe the semifinal is open,” Ceres Negros top scorer Bienvenido Marañon, who has eight goals so far in the competition, said on the club’s official website, ceresfootball.com.
“We have to win, they have to defend the result, and I think we can for sure do very good in Bacolod in front of our own supporters.”
The Busmen have an impressive home record in the competition this year, scoring 11 goals from three matches, highlighted by a 6-2 drubbing of Vietnamese side Hanoi FC.
Aguinaldo’s absence due to suspension is a huge blow to a Global side that is looking for more solidity in the backline.
Compensating for Aguinaldo’s absence is the return of Brazilian Wesley Dos Santos from suspension.
Global captain Misagh Bahadoran has already recovered from injury and could figure prominently for Global which will be playing its fourth match in two weeks on Tuesday.
“Our focus has been on rest and recovery the past couple of weeks because of our difficult schedule,” said Global coach Marjo Allado. “It’s going to be tough playing against Home United, but we are confident with the players that we have on Tuesday.”