A BATTLE royal is on the cards when the man they call ''The Tsar'' in the Sampdoria defence confronts the goal king of Eastern in the Satchi Italy Cup exhibition match at the Hong Kong Stadium tonight.
Pietro Vierchowod, the 35-year-old son of a Russian immigrant and imperious in the centre of the Samp defence, has built up a reputation as one of the great man-markers in Italian football.
But Hong Kong's toeams - venture into the territory.
Tempest, who has scored 24 times in domestic competition this season, put three past Brazil's world club champions Sao Paulo when he was a guest player for South China in an exhibition match at the new stadium on April 5 . . . an achievement which has not gone unnoticed by Sampdoria's Swedish coach, Sven Goran Eriksson.
''I have watched the game on video and the centre forward played very well and took his goals very well,'' said Eriksson.
''Now he can look forward to an evening with Mr Vierchowod.'' Eriksson, whose previous clubs include IFK Gothenburg, Benfica, Roma and Fiorentina, named his team after a training session yesterday and Vierchowod features in a three-strong defence, with Stefano Sacchetti to his right and Marco Rossi to his left.