Their attacking duo are Brazilian Alberto da Costa and former Uruguay player Cristian Gonzales, now a naturalised Indonesian international, while midfielder Gustavo Lopez is a veteran of the Argentine Primera Division. Their defence includes Thierry Gathuessi of Cameroon and Victor Igbonefo, a Nigerian-born naturalised Indonesian considered one of the best defenders in the country.

"We have done some analysis on the visitors through video footage and there is no doubt they are a quality side, especially their attacking power," said head coach Chu Chi-kwong. "We will put more emphasis on our defence and try to hold them before launching fast breaks. But still it is not going to be easy because we have relied heavily on ground movement and the recent adverse weather will probably make the pitch very difficult for us."

Fullback Lo Kwan-yee also added: "Although we have the home ground advantage, we will probably start as underdog. We learnt a lesson two years ago of underestimating them and will not make the same mistake."

The good news for Kitchee is the return of reliable centre defender Fernando Recio, who has recovered from a dislocated arm.