MANILA, Philippines - Global FC hopes to do well as it goes up against more established clubs from all over Asia in Group G of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup beginning tomorrow night.
The reigning United Football League champion is the first Filipino club to qualify for the group stage and a team official vowed to dish out their very best and spring some surprises.
“We’re going into something that is unknown to them but the players will give their 100 percent in the games,” said Global coach Leigh Manson.
The “People’s Club” will make their debut against South China AA of Hong Kong at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, hoping their familiarity with the turf and the home crowd will serve them well as they bid for a strong start in the tournament.
“We need to be sharper and clinical. We have to be ready for the stronger teams,” said CEO Dan Palami, whose wards will also pit skills with Yadanarbon of Myanmar and Pahang of Malaysia in the home-and-way group play.
Global FC beefed up its roster preparatory to its AFC Cup campaign.
It acquired Loyola Meralco Sparks star Matthew Hartmann, who was the MVP of the last PFF-Smart Club championship, in exchange for young midfielder Curt Dizon. This came after its signing of former Japan U-20 defender Masaki Yanagawa, Mexican midfielder Renato Gonzalez and US Soccer Academy player Rolf Schlettwein.
The newcomers will hook up with Azkals mainstays Misagh Bahadoran, Amani Aguinaldo, Mark Hartmann and Patrick Deyto and Izzo El-Habbib.