Photo: Home

SINGAPORE, 4 FEBRUARY 2019 – Home United will kick off their 2019 season tomorrow, Tuesday, 5 February against Persija Jakarta in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League qualifiers.

The Protectors will play the Indonesian league champions in a one-off tie in the Preliminary Round 1 stage of the qualifying play-offs at Jalan Besar Stadium, having qualified for this stage after finishing second in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) last season.

TEAM NEWS

Shahril Ishak is recovering from a dislocated shoulder, which was sustained during Singapore’s ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup campaign last November, but don’t be surprised if he features. The 35-year-old tallied five goals – second only to Song Ui-young – and a team-high eight assists in 12 AFC Cup games last year. New signings Adam Swandi, Ho Wai Loon, Taufiq Muqminin and Hami Syahin could make their debuts.

Persija have signed Vinicius Lopes Laurindo, Bruno Matos and Jakhongir Abdumuminov but they are unavailable as their International Transfer Certificates (ITC) have not come through. Defender Jaimerson Xavier is suspended.

FACTS

• In their first ever meetings last year in the two-legged AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal semi-finals, Home ran out 3-2 and 3-1 winners.
• It is Home’s second involvement in Asia’s flagship club tournament – their first was in October 2002, where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Hong Kong’s South China in Round 2 of the Qualifying Zone 2 (East) stage of the qualifiers for the 2002/03 tournament.
• Song Ui-young scored nine times in the AFC Cup last year to finish as the tournament’s joint-third top scorer.
• Home scored 25 times last year on their way to winning the ASEAN Zonal Final, the joint-second most in the tournament.
• Saswadimata Dasuki will take charge of his first competitive game after assuming his first ever head coaching role last December.
• Persija have a new man in charge too – Ivan Kolev replaced Stefano Cugurra last month. The Bulgarian is back for a second spell, having managed them from 1999 to 2000.
• Persija are unbeaten in their last nine domestic matches; their most recent match ended 1-1 on 31 January, which completed a 9-3 aggregate victory over 757 Kepri Jaya to send them through to the last 16 in the Indonesian Cup.
• Prior to their 2-0 loss to April 25 in the first leg of the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals last August, Home had gone 16 matches unbeaten in continental competition (all AFC Cup matches) at Jalan Besar. It began with a 2-1 group-stage win over Binh Duong in March 2009; they won 13 of their next 15.

DETAILS

The match kicks off at 7.30pm. Tickets cost $10 each for adults and $5 for concession. They can be purchased at the Jalan Besar ticket office, located next to the entrance of the swimming pool, from 6pm onwards. Home fans are to enter via the North Entrance, while away supporters can only enter via the South Entrance.

Home squad
Goalkeepers: Nazri Sabri, Rudy Khairullah
Defenders: Juma’at Jantan, Abdil Qaiyyim, Aqhari Abdullah, Faritz Hameed, Faizal Roslan, Taufiq Muqminin, Ho Wai Loon
Midfielders: Izzdin Shafiq, Fazli Ayob, Hami Syahin, Suhairi Sabri, Adam Swandi
Forwards: Isaka Cernak, Song Ui-young, Hafiz Nor, Iqram Rifqi, Shahril Ishak, Muhelmy Suhaimi

Persija squad
Goalkeepers: Andritany Ardhiyasa, Shahar Ginanjar
Defenders: Dany Saputra, Ryuji Utomo, Ismed Sofyan, Tony Sucipto, Maman Abdurahman
Midfielders: Rizki Lestahulu, Yan Nasadit, Fitra Ridwan, Sandy Sute, Septinus Alua
Forwards: Marko Simic, Novri Setiawan, Bambang Pamungkas, Riko Simanjuntak, Alberto Goncalves, Heri Susanto

Referee: Abdul Baqi Yaqoob Said Abdullah (Oman)
Assistant 1: Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Jardani (Oman)
Assistant 2: Abdullah Mubarak Mohamed Al Shammakhi (Oman)
Fourth Official: Qasim Matar Ali Al-Hatmi (Oman)