Support us to the hilt, South China coach Casemiro Mior tells fans ahead of AFC Cup quarter-final
The Caroliners hope a capacity crowd will help see them through in their AFC Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night
South China coach Casemiro Mior called on fans to provide the "extra man" as the domestic heavyweights take on Johor Darul Tazim in a do-or-die AFC Cup quarter-final tie at Mong Kok Stadium tonight.
Having drawn the away leg 1-1 last month, the Caroliners stand a good chance of making it to the last four, the first time since 2009. But the Brazilian coach said they would need to be at their best against the newly crowned Malaysia Super League champions.
"We need support to help us get past the tough hurdle," said Mior. "It does not matter if you are a South China fan or fans of other clubs as long as you are a fan of Hong Kong soccer. Come and support us as we are representing Hong Kong.
"Johor are a quality side and we must respect them. Even if we drew the first leg and have the home ground advantage, it is still a dangerous game as the result can go either way."
Only 600 tickets remain and Mior is looking forward to a full-house at the 6,600-seat venue, cheering for his team like fans have for the Hong Kong representative team in their World Cup qualifiers.
Johor are a quality side and we must respect them. Even if we drew the first leg ... it is still a dangerous game
"We all witnessed the power of the fans when Hong Kong won their first two World Cup qualifying matches and the way they came back against Qatar [last Tuesday]. We are looking forward to a similar environment so our players can fully display their potential," said the coach.
Headed by ex-South China coach Mario Gomez, Johor arrived on Sunday with the likes of former Argentina international Luciano Figueroa. He did not feature in their 2-0 win over Perak in the Malaysia Cup two days ago, apparently being saved for the Hong Kong game.
Before training yesterday, Gomez refused to say if there would be any advantage in having coached the Hong Kong side before.
"I know South China players, but every game is different," said Gomez.
"I know captain Chan Wai-ho is injured and cannot play. It is not so good for them, but it's another game."
South China will be missing captain Chan Wai-ho, a key player in their central defence. The Hong Kong team captain twisted his knee in the World Cup qualifiers against China and is likely to be sidelined for two months.
