DELAYED flight, long travel hours, little rest, and no training before the game are among the challenges that Ceres Negros FC needs to overcome when it faces Tianjin Quanjian FC of China at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday for the 2018 AFC Champions League play-off round at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium.
The Philippine club failed to take an earlier flight to Tianjin after being unable to immediately secure visa from the Chinese Embassy in Manila upon their arrival from Brisbane. The visas of the players and officials were only released at 2:45 p.m. Monday and they took the 5:45 p.m. flight from Manila to Hong Kong then 10:50 p.m. flight to Tianjin.
Ceres-Negros FC made history for Philippine football when they stunned former A-League’s champions Brisbane Roar FC, 3-2 last week during the 2nd round qualifying through the pair of goals from Bienvenido Maranon and Omid Nazari.
If Ceres FC survived the Chinese squad, they will join Group E with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Kitchee and the winner between Kashiwa Reysol of Japan and Thailand’s Muangthong United.