Dhaka, February 27: The reigning champions of Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, Chittagong Abahani Limited of Bangladesh, are prepared to defeat Pocheon Citizen FC of South Korea in the second semi final to keep their title hopes alive.

Before locking horns in the second semi final of the ongoing Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup 2017 on Tuesday (28.02.2017), the teams’ coaches and captains talked about their hopes and plans to go through to the final during a pre-match press conference in the conference room of M. A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong on Monday.

Expressing his thoughts about the upcoming match, Chittagong Abahani head coach Saiful Bari Titu said, “No doubt, the Korean club is very strong as an opponent. They follow the modern aspects of football, which is - defending, transition, and attacking. This should be a good match."

"We, on the other hand, are waiting to deliver our best performance in the match. We really need our best performance to overcome such a strong team. We are the reigning champions. As expected, we have reached the semis. We are looking forward to the finals," he added.

Ctg Abahani skipper Mamunul Islam said, “This is a difficult match for us. We are facing a strong Korean team. We are the lone local club playing in the semis. We have to play the finals in order to uplift Bangladesh’s football in an international competition like this. ”

"We expect good results if we don’t repeat the previous mistakes made in the earlier 3 matches. We started well, and now we want to finish well as well," he added.

Addressing the local fans of Chittagong, Mamunul said, "We are excited for the local fans here in Chittagong. Their support will help us go a long way."

When asked if the team is in pressure, Mamunul said they might just enjoy the pressure as the footballers are waiting to put up a good show. “We are waiting to put up our best show, but we need support from the fans.”

Coach Titu told reporters that they are working to check their mistakes they made in the earlier matches. "This one is a knockout match. Can’t really tell which side is feeling the pressure here. At the end, luck is very important. We will give our best.”

“The players in the opponent’s dugout are very skilful in playing football. But our team has more experience as we have played more competitions. The players, including captain Mamunul will know what to do on the field,” he added.

On the other hand, Mamunul said that the clubs in Bangladesh have many shortcomings. However, in contrast, the Korean club is much more privileged. He added that both the teams are representing their own countries and will definitely aim for a very competitive semi. The skipper again called on fans to cheer for them in the stadium. “Support from fans can change the game.”

After Ctg Abahani, the head coach and captain of Pocheon Citizen FC talked to reporters at the press conference.

“Ctg Abahahani is the reigning champions of the tournament. The hosts play in Bangladesh’s top tier Premier League, which is not the case for Pocheon. We are preparing to face them in the semis. We are also hoping for a good match,” said Lee Kwang Deok, Manager of Pocheon Citizen FC.

Han Yong Su, the club’s skipper said, “I believe in my team. The team is prepared to face any challenges. We are looking forward to the semis.”

When asked about the pressure of facing Chittagong Abahani in their home ground, Pocheon skipper Han said, “Why wouldn’t we feel pressure? We are facing an opponent which is strong on the home ground. We are not feeling too much pressure, but it’s definitely there.”

Manager of the team, Lee likes to keep Abahani on the other page. He thinks the champion team will be under much more pressure as they are playing on their home ground. However, he does not want to underestimate the team, and is hoping for a great show for the spectators.

The second semi-final, between Chittagong Abahani Limited of Bangladesh and Pocheon Citizen FC of Nepal, will kick-off at 6:30 pm at the M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong on Tuesday (February 28).