History beckons Manila Diggers

Manila Digger FC gets a chance to make history as they take on Svay Rieng FC in the second leg of the AFC Challenge League semifinals today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Kick-off is set at 8 p.m. with the Diggers trying to become the first Filipino club to reach the final in an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) tournament.

Both squads settled for a 1-1 draw at the Morodok Techo Stadium in Phnom Penh last 9 April, making the upcoming matchup very crucial.

Midfielder Ousman Gai, who scored the equalizer for Manila Digger in the 85th minute, said the draw boosted the squad’s confidence as they go for the kill.

“The team did incredible today because we played very well in an away tie against a team backed by a strong crowd so we can be proud of how we played. We will be waiting for them back home,” said Gai, who already has six goals and is tied with Svay Rieng forward Kwameh Peprah in second place of the Golden Boot race.

For Tiago Alvez, who scored in the fourth minute for Svay Rieng, they are still optimistic that a win can still happen based on their performance.

“It was important to win but unfortunately we didn’t. However, the tie is still open and we will go to Manila to try to reach the final,” Alvez said.

“Performance-wise, it was good. We didn’t concede many chances and restricted them to long balls. We had many chances but just couldn’t find the second goal.”

The second leg promises to be explosive due to the quality of scorers from both sides. The winner of the match will take on a team in the West Region for all the marbles on 9 May.

Whoever wins the Challenge League will be promoted to the AFC Champions League 2 next season.