Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra stand with a chance to make a slice of history when they face North Korean counterparts Rimyongsu Club in Colombo today with an eye in the AFC President’s Cup final. The match will kick off at 1:30pm Bangladesh Standard Time at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. To reach the September 26 final, Rimyongsu Club only need a draw due to their batter goal average than the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League champions as they thrashed Erchim FC of Mongolia by 5-0 win in their opening game.
Russell, on the other hand, managed a 1-0 win against Erchim in their first match, meaning they will have to collect full three points to go through to the final for the first time as a Bangladeshi club.
The players and the coach of Russell are confident ahead of the big challenge against the Korean side that came as the title favourites.
The results of previous matches in the group clearly indicate that it will not be an easy task for Russell to fulfill the dream after they already wrote history by being the first-ever Bangladeshi club to qualify for the final round.
‘We will take the pitch tomorrow [today] not only for the club, but also for the whole country,’ captain Mithun Chowdhury told New Age.
‘We believe in our ability and anything can happen if we give our best,’ he added.
Russell coach Zakaria Babu along with his charges watched the match between Rimyongsu and Erchim on Monday that gave them an idea about their opponents.
‘If we can sort out our mistakes from the first game and become successful in rectifying those errors, then it wouldn’t be tough to get full three points,’ said Zakaria Babu.
Meanwhile, North Koran side will take the field as group favourites and their coach Jo Tong-sop said before starting the tournament that they are fully prepared to win the title.
‘We are not very familiar with the level of the other teams in the group but we have prepared for a long time with the aim of getting to the final of this tournament,’ said Rimyongsu coach Jo at the official press conference held on September 19.
-With New Age input
