Kitchee Seeks to Take Down Kwoon Chung Southern in

Kitchee will try to rebound from its heart-breaking AFC Cup exit midweek by taking on arch-rival Kwoon Chung Southern in Saturday’s Season Playoffs final. The match will take place in Mongkok Stadium and kickoff time will be at 3:00pm. A win on Saturday will see Kitchee earning the opportunity to once again compete in AFC-organized club tournaments next season. Kitchee and Kwoon Chung Southern have met up on six occasions this season so far, each racking up an identical two wins, two draws and two losses head-to-head record. Despite finishing higher than Kwoon Chung Southern in the Hong Kong Premier League standing (Kitchee wraps up the premier league race in the second spot while Kwoon Chung Southern finishes in the fourth), the district side have actually defeated Kitchee in both the Senior Shield semi-final and the FA Cup quarter-final, making them a side that should not be taken lightly. In addition, Kitchee has recently crashed out of the AFC Cup round of 16 in the hands of JSW Bengaluru and whether the troops can regain confidence in time will likely be one of the several key factors that determine the outcome of Saturday’s game. Industrious midfielder Huang Yang knows fully well how difficult Kwoon Chung Southern actually is and expects nothing short of a tough game on the weekend. “Kwoon Chung Southern is extremely dangerous when it comes to set-pieces and counter-attacks. These are the elements that we really need to pay a close attention to,” Huang revealed. “Although we have lost to Kwoon Chung Southern twice this season, Kitchee players are all experienced when it comes to taking part in high-pressure matches. Therefore I am fairly confident about our winning chances this weekend.” Midfield dynamo Matthew Lam maintains Kwoon Chung Southern is a legitimate threat to Kitchee but also believes the Blues has what it takes to overcome the district side in the Season Playoffs final. “Kwoon Chung Southern likes to load up at the back and counter-attack with blazing speed. That is pretty much what makes them so dangerous,” offered the tenacious midfield battler. “We might not have Jared (Lum) in midfield for the game but I am sure the coaching staffs will make the necessary adjustments in the lineup and we also have players who are capable of stepping into Jared’s shoes. At the end of the day, we will still be highly competitive in Saturday’s game.”