CERES Negros Football Club (FC) will make history in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup when they play in the Asean Zonal semi-finals against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) of Malaysia on Wednesday, May 17, at the Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium in Johor Bahru.
The Bacolod-based Ceres FC left on Sunday after topping Group G while JDT finished as the best runner-up in the Asean Zone.
The Busmen and the Southern Tigers collision will be an explosion because the top two scorers in the AFC Cup – Spanish Bienvenido Marañón of Ceres and Argentinian Gabriel Guerra of JDT – have already scored seven goals each in this tournament.
Ceres FC must be physically, mentally, and tactically ready since the Malaysian side is very strong.
Both teams have registered the biggest crowd attendance during their group stage matches. Panaad Park and Stadium, Ceres FC’s home turf, averages 8,500 Negrense fans while 10,000 solid JDT followers converge at Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium during their home games.
Negros Occidental Football Association president Ricky Yanson appealed to all the Negrenses to support Ceres Negros FC as they represent the Philippine in the AFC Cup Asean Zonal semi-finals.
The other Filipino club which qualified to the Asean Zonal semis is Global Cebu FC, which will host Singapore’s Home United FC on May 16 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila. (HGD)
