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| Toshiaki Imai and Akbar Nawas shook hands as Global and Tampines Rovers are ready for the Asian challenge starting tomorrow. |
MANILA -- Reigning league titlists Global is ready to take on Asia's best as they meet the press earlier in the morning at the Century Park Hotel.
Represented by Misagh Bahadoran and manager Toshiaki Imai, last season's double winners will try to do the job tomorrow at 7:30 in the evening against S-League's Tampines Rovers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the first preliminary round of the AFC Champions League qualifiers.
With progression to the next round, a date with A-League powerhouse Brisbane Roar next week, he emphasized the fact that the playoff is different from their match-up with the Stags in the Singapore Cup quarterfinal
"Of course, we played against Tampines twice last year, and we lost both. We've promised them that we will give them a good fight tomorrow." said the mercurial striker, referring to last year's tie with them where they lost both games and went out 2-5 on aggregate.
For Bahadoran, this will be the biggest tournament for any club in the country, especially for them who is the pioneering side to compete in all AFC competitions, starting with the President's Cup in 2013, the AFC Cup two years ago and in the ACL this year.
"OF course, it's such an honor to be part of this big tournament and that's only will be remembered as a football player," Bahadoran noted.
On calling the match as a win-or-go-home type, the Japanese was only worried when came aboard to the club just four days before the tussle. "Our players have good ability. I coach with them and cooperate together and build good combination. That will be displayed tomorrow," Imai said, with a group stage in the AFC Cup awaits for both teams should either of them fail to make the hurdle in the ACL.
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