Kitchee Faces Kuwait SC in Midweek AFC Cup 2015 Qu

With the highly-anticipated AFC Cup 2015 quarter-final (first leg) against Kuwait SC fast-approaching, Kitchee set off for the Middle East over the weekend with hopes of snatching a positive result from its trip. Kitchee originally found itself located in Group F of the AFC Cup 2015 group stage against fellow sides Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia), Kingfisher East Bengal (India) and Balestier Khalsa FC (Singapore). The Hong Kong premier league champion showed its class and emerged from the group with three wins, two draws and one loss, finishing the group stage with eleven points and a second-place finish in Group F. Despite facing a daunting away battle against Indonesian side Persib Bandung in the Round of 16, Kitchee overcame the challenge and came out with an all-important 2:0 victory, punching its ticket for the quarter-final. Head coach Abraham Garcia spoke about scouting three-time AFC Cup champion Kuwait SC before flying out to Kuwait for the quarter-final away match. “We have done a lot of researches on the opponent and have watched a lot of video of their previous matches,” revealed Garcia. “We know Kuwait SC is a very sound side that possesses skill and speed, with Fahad Al Enezi and Rogerio Coutinho playing important roles for the Middle East side. However, the form of the Kitchee players remains as my main priority and I will make sure the team is ready to go on match day.” Midfielder Lam Ka-wai believes his side is starting to get a knack of Garcia’s tactical demands after a gruelling preseason. “We are progressing well when it comes to ball management on the pitch yet executing that in practice matches is completely different than doing it against Kuwait SC. We really need to pay more attention on dictating the rhythm on the pitch and if we can do that, I have strong faith that we can execute the coach’s plan for the game effectively,” Lam pointed out. “The Kitchee coaching staffs have already shared with us a thorough scouting report on Kuwait SC and we will have a meeting in Kuwait to summarize everything. The opponent for this match is no doubt a stronger side than us and we will need to come out strong defensively, pay attention to their attacking style, as well as keeping an eye on their dangerous players.”