SAFFC IN CONFIDENT MOOD AGAINST AL NAHDA

SAFFC, who romped to a 4-1 win over Dalian Shide to wrest the leadership from Home United, will face Al Nahda, who made the cut ahead of AFC Cup defending champions Shabab Al Ordun, who were eliminated.

But the side from Singapore will not be short of experience having consistently made the quarter-finals of the regional championship since the AFC Cup’s inception in 2004.

Another Singapore side Home United will be anxious to make up for their disappointment of losing the top spot domestically when they face up to Dempo of India away in the last eight.

Home United were the first side to qualify into the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup 2008 when they broke through with four consecutive wins – blasting in 18 goals in the process.

The other Asean teams in the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup 2008 are Kedah, the recently-crowned Malaysian treble champions and Perak.

The Northerners win of the Malaysia Cup and also their 4-1 victory over Singapore’s Home United in their last group match will put them in good stead even though they will be against Al Muharraq at the Bahrain National Stadium.

Al Muharraq, the losing 2006 finalists scrape through as group winners.

In the meantime Perak will have to put their financial difficulties behind them and take on Al Safa from Lebanon at the Perak Stadium.

And while the silver state made the qualification on lesser goal difference as compared to group winners SAFFC, still that was sometime ago and the mood in the team has changed somewhat following news that salaries have not been paid for the last three months.

AFC CUP 2008, first-leg, quarter-finals

PERAK (Malaysia) vs SAFA SC (Lebanon)
Perak Stadium (2115hrs)

SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES FC (Singapore) vs AL NAHDA (Oman)
Jalan Besar Stadium (2100hrs)

DEMPO SC (India) vs HOME UNITED FC (Singapore)
Gachibowli Stadium (2000hrs)

MUHARRAQ (Bahrain) – KEDAH (Malaysia)
National Stadium (2115hrs)