CHAMPIONS South China renew their bitter soccer rivalry with Instant-Dict today as the Caroliners look to carry over their excellent pre-season form into the first match of the new season.
The teams meet this afternoon at the Hong Kong Stadium with the slate wiped clean despite the sides' contrasting fortunes in Asian club competitions in recent weeks.
The Caroliners enter the match with their confidence sky-high after putting together some decent results since returning from a useful summer training trip to Germany.
South China's performances in the first round of the Asian Club Championship and the Aw Hoe Cup made clear their lofty league title ambitions.
After holding Malaysian league champions Selangor to a goalless draw in the first leg in Selangor, the Caroliners raised their game to score a comprehensive 2-0 victory at the Hong Kong Stadium.
A 4-2 win in the Aw Hoe Cup last week against a Rest of the League XI enhanced their confidence, although their opponents did not include members of Instant-Dict, who were competing in the first-round second-leg, of the Asian Cup-Winners' Cup away to Singapore's Armed Forces.