PETALING JAYA: The Selangor football team can’t afford any slip-ups as they head into a tricky away fixture on an unfamiliar synthetic surface against Filipino side Dynamic Herb Cebu in the Shoppee Asean Club Championships today.
Interim coach Christophe Gamel admitted that the tie at the Rizal Memorial Stadium will test his players in more ways than one, even though the Red Giants enter the match as favourites. A win over Cebu would solidify Selangor’s position at the top of Group A.
The Red Giants currently lead the group with four points from two matches. They opened their campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw with defending champions Buriram United on Aug 20, followed by a thrilling 4-2 win over Singapore’s Tampines Rovers on Sept 24.
But Gamel insisted that the standings mean little when you are playing on a surface the team rarely encounter.
“Playing away is never easy, especially on a synthetic surface, which we are not used to. The key is how quickly the players can adjust,” said Gamel.
“Cebu are aggressive, so we expect a tough match. But I expect us to take points. Wherever we play, we aim to win. I trust my players - they are focused and dedicated.”
Despite Cebu languishing at the bottom, the Frenchman warned against complacency.
“Cebu are tough opponents. Compared to last year, they are more physical and stronger defensively, which can cause problems,” he said.
Selangor enter the clash after enduring a gruelling FA Cup clash with Sabah on Sunday which went to a shootout, making recovery their biggest challenge.
“Being top of the group is good and we’ve performed well so far. But we must build on that,” said Gamel.
“We’ve just come from a very tough match with a long period of extra time, so the key factor will be how well we’ve recovered. Regardless, we need to give 200 percent to win this game.”
He added that the short turnaround has forced the team into a more compact preparation period.
“We didn’t have much time to prepare since we only had one full day after our last match but the players understand what we need to do.”
