September 14, 2004

Geylang United & Home United reopen their AFC Cup campaign this week facing completely different situations.

The Eagles go to familiar territory heading north to take on Malaysian side Perak, while the Protectors venture west into the unknown when they face Lebanese side Olympic Beirut in Lebanon.

Bad enough that the Double champions know little of their opponents, but there was confusion last week, when rumours surfaced that the Lebanese side were about to pull out of the AFC Cup due to financial problems.

Sources in Lebanon revealed that the club's assets had been frozen by the Lebanese government & that Olympic Beirut had withdrawn from the tournament, only to be overruled by the Lebanese Football Association.

Home United coach Steve Darby admitted there have been a lot of rumours about the game being called off but the AFC have confirmed with the Protectors that the game will go on.

With that clear up the only thing worrying Darby is that he had not seen the Lebanon side in action before as Olympic Beirut have a new set of players & are currently in pre-season.

All the inform nation Darby could gathered is that Olympic Beirut have 4 Lebanese internationals & South African international Pierre Issa playing for them.

Issa, who is of Lebanese descent, is the star name in the Olympic line-up. He played for South Africa in the 1998 World Cup & has played in the English & French leagues

But luckily the Protectors have Singapore international keeper Lionel Lewis on hand to make his debut, after being signed from the Young Lions for the AFC Cup campaign therefore allowing them to drop South African keeper Sean Roberts.

So Thai midfield hardman J.Surachai, Thai winger Sutee Suksomkit & midfield genius Peres De Oliveriaall who form an important integral part of the Protectors midfield will be in the squad in Lebanon.

Still there are problem with Sutee, after being delayed with the Thai national team in North Korea having to directly link up with them in Lebanon. 

In contrast to the Protectors situation of not knowing anything about their opponents, Geylang coach Scott O'Donell has the lowdown on Perak.

The Australian said he had seen Perak play 3 times this year already & assistant coach Darren Stewart was in Malaysia to watch them on the weekend.

He describe them as a good team who pass the ball well & are good to watch but relying heavily on the Malaysian international K Nanthakumar in midfield & Liberian international Frank Seator upfront.

Therefore the Eagles would have to look out on both of them & in Scott mind he believed it can be done as having gone to India & got a good result (Geylang United drew 1-1 with ASEAN & Indian NFL champions East Bengal), there is no reason why the Eagles cannot do the same in Malaysia.

The Eagles will have to do it without key defender Noh Rahman & forward Noor Ali, both suspended.