Coach expects close match
South China are out to restore the pride of Hong Kong soccer tonight when they play former Chinese Professional League champions Shanghai Shenhua in the Ericsson Cup.
The match at the 12,000-seat Siu Sai Wan Stadium kicks off at 7pm, and the tickets have all been claimed.
Shenhua, 1995 Chinese League champions, edged the Caroliners 1-0 in an exhibition game in Shanghai on New Year's Day with a late penalty.
Local champions Instant-Dict were thrashed 9-2 on aggregate by Shenhua in September's Asian Club Championship first-round ties.
South China coach Wong Man-wai said they would not be eclipsed by the visitors.
'Shenhua fielded their strongest side the last time we played, while we missed some of our key players, like Ricky Cheng Siu-chung,' he said.
'It will be a close match tonight. Unfortunately, we have our league game on Sunday against Golden at the back of our minds, and we have a few players injured.' National strikers Dale Tempest and Au Wai-lun, and Portuguese midfielder Pedro Xavier, are all nursing injuries and unlikely to play.
Brazilian defender Aurelio Da Silva also has an injured right knee but is expected to start tonight.
Shenhua, led by former Bulgarian under-21 national coach Jordan Stoykov, trained at Siu Sai Wan yesterday with their new signing, ex-Moscow Dynamo goalkeeper Valeri Kleimenov.
The Shanghai outfit have just finished a 20-day training stint in South Korea. They recorded four victories in six friendly matches played, including a 2-1 win over Korean professional side Daewoo.
Their expatriates - former Paris Saint Germain midfielder Christian Perez, Bulgarian defender Dimitre Vassev and midfielder Valentine Stantchev - will play tonight.
But they will be missing their three Chinese internationals, playmaker Fan Zhiyi, defenders Wu Bing and Mao Yijun, who are on national duty.
PROBABLE LINEUPS South China: 1-Werner Kooistra; 18-Sung Lin-yung, 5-Aurelio Da Silva, 6-Ku Kam-fai, 3-Chan Wai-chiu; 11-Lee Kin-wo, 16-Shum Kwok-pui, 12-Wu Qunli, 23-Ignjic Radislav; 4-Ricky Cheng Siu-chung, 8-Rolovic Zeljko.
Shanghai Shenhua: 1-Cai Jianlin; 2-Yao Jun, 18-Zhu Qi, 12-Dimitre Vassev, 4-Wu Chengying; 10-Liu Jun, 9-Qi Hong, 11-Valentine Stantchev, 14-Shen Si; 20-Xie Hui, 24-Christian Perez.
