By Les Tan/Red Sports
Kenji Arai (SAFFC, #3) scored the equaliser for SAFFC in the 29th minute. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports file photo)
Bangkok, Wednesday, February 19, 2009 – Singapore Armed Forces FC beat Provincial Electric Authority (PEA) of Thailand 4-1 in an AFC Champions League playoff and the win means SAFFC will now play PSMS Medan of Indonesia next Wednesday, February 25th, at Jalan Besar Stadium in their next playoff game. The winner of that game will get a place in Group G of the AFC Champions League, which comprises Shanghai Shenhua (China), Kashima Antlers (Japan) and Suwon Bluewings (South Korea).
PEA scored after six minutes through Apipoo but Kenji Arai equalised for SAFFC on the 29-minute mark. With the game tied 1-1 at full-time, extra-time was needed to separate the two sides. A goal by Mustaqim Manzur sandwiched between two goals by Thai Therdsak Chaiman, one from a penalty, was enough to give SAFFC an emphatic win.
"It wasn't an easy game," SAFFC coach Richard Bok told sleague.com.
"The Thais are a technically good side, and we struggled against them in the first half. It was important that the goal from Kenji came before half-time rather than after.
"We had a few close chances before Kenji scored, but we wanted to get a goal back as early as possible. The second half was a ding-dong affair, and eventually they were more tired than we were, which surprised me because this was the first game for both of us."
Source: Therdsak steers SAFFC past first hurdle; sleague.com; Imperious SAFFC march on; Thursday, February 19, 2009)
Congrats to SAFFC, it is a massive result and it takes them to within a game away from the AFC Champions League.
The S-League should seriously consider their league game against Balestier on Sunday to allow them to fully concentrate on the preparation for the crunch game versus Medan next week.
The Scottish FA has done this for Rangers and Celtic several times before …