When SAFFC took on Asia's finest

A few weeks ago, I once again revealed my ignorance of Singaporean football by asking if any local team had previously reached the group stage of the AFC Champions league. It was promptly drawn to my attention that in both 2009 and 2010 SAFFC (later Warriors FC) reached the group stage of Asia’s biggest club competition. Here is the story of how they got on.

SAFFC were dominating the local football scene and starting to make their mark at a continental level in 2009. They had already won 3 consecutive league titles and had also reached the quarter finals of the AFC Cup in 2007 and 2008. The team was managed by Richard Bok, the most successful coach in the history of the S – League and included the likes of Aleksander Duric, Ahmad Latiff, John Wilkinson and a young(er) Daniel Bennett.

Latiff and Bok celebrate SAFFC's 3rd consective title.

On February 18 2009 SAFFC made the trip to Bangkok to face 2008 Thai Premier League champions Provincial Electric Authority (PEA) in the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League. The game started badly for SAFFC when PEA scored after only six minutes through Apipoo. However Kenji Arai equalised before halftime and it remained 1-1 after 90 minutes so the game went to extra time. Therdsak Chaiman broke the hearts of his countrymen by scoring twice in extra time, either side of a goal from Mustaqim Manzur, to win the game 1-4 and earn a spot in the next round.

Therdsak Chaiman was vital in helping SAFFC qualify for the group stage

One week later, in front of 2,462 fans at Jalan Besar Stadium, SAFFC made history when Latiff’s goal nine minutes into extra-time saw them defeat PSMS Medan 2-1. It was the Thai midfielder Therdsak Chaiman who again showed his Champions League pedigree by scoring the opening goal in the 36th minute, drilling a low shot from outside the area. SAFFC were expected to then go on and comfortably win the game aganst a side languishing in 15th place in the Indonesia Super League. However some questionable defending allowed PSMS Medan back into the game in the 51st minute. The winner came in extra time when the impressive Therdsak found Latiff who slammed the ball into the roof of the net despite an almost impossibly acute angle. The victory earned SAFCC a place in an incredibly tough group G alongside Japanese champions Kashima Antlers, Korean champions Suwon Bluewings and Chinese giants Shanghai Shenhua.

SAFFC's first game in the group didn’t get off to the best of starts when, after 22 minutes, Hafiz Osman was sent off for a dubious looking handball which led to a penalty which was converted by Argentinian Hernan Barcos. However, the 10 men of SAFFC did not fold and instead shocked the Chinese Super League team in the 63rd minute when John Wilkinson beat the offside trap, superbly controlled a deep cross and found himself free of the last defender before tucking the ball away to score Singapore’s first ever goal in the group stage of the Champions league. However, any hopes of an unlikely point were squashed when Shanghai Shenhua put three goals past them in the final 15 minutes.

A week later SAFFC Suffered yet another setback in their AFC Champions League campaign when they were beaten 0-2 at home by K-league champions Suwon Bluewings. This time there were 3,867 fans at Jalan Besar to watch the first ever Champions League group game to take place in Singapore. The home team held out for 65 minutes against the Korean champs before giving away another penalty for handball, this time it was Bennet who was, perhaps a little harshly, penalised. Brazilian striker Eduardo Goncalves converted the penalty and then added a decent second 6 minutes later to put the game beyond doubt. The difference in class was quite obvious, Suwon had rested many of their senor players for the game and were playing within themselves for much of the game, blaming the heat and the artificial pitch for the lack of further goals.

SAFFC sat bottom of the group with 0 points from their first two games but the visit of Japanese champions Kashima Antlers still drew an expectant crowd of 4,400 fans. Things didn’t get off to a great start for the Singaporean team when, in the 23rd minute,Motoyama Masashi was left totally unmarked in the 6-yard box and able to get on the end of a far post cross and finish with ease. However, just 3 minutes later the home side scored an unexpected equaliser through Hafiz Osman. Therdsak continued his fine form in the tournament by delivering a free kick from the left that was met by an unmarked Hafiz in the 6-yard box who found the back of the net with his header. Duric went close to giving SAFFC the lead in the 41st but he couldn’t convert Therdsak’s through ball and sent the ball wide with the onrushing Kashima keeper Hitoshi stranded. However, it was Kashima who went into half time ahead when just two minutes after Duric’s chance, defender Uchida Atsuto was picked out with a great pass after a making a clever run from the back that wasn’t tracked by the SAFFC defence . His composed, curled finish into the far corner was too good for Shahril who wasn’t abe to keep it out despite getting a hand on it. After halftime Kashima seemed set to run away with it when they quickly scored a third but when SAFFC were awarded a penalty in the 56th minute it looked like the Singaporean team could get back in it. Duric stepped up to take the penalty but Kashima keeper Sogahata Hitoshi guessed correctly to deny Duric his first Champions League goal. Bennett diverted a cross into his own goal late on and the game finished 1-4.

Still without a win and a goal difference of -8 SAFFC were effectively already out of the tournament. Only an unlikely victory in Japan against Kashima Antlers could give them any hope. Poor marking once again proved SAFFC downfall when in the 29th Minute Takuya Nozawa was left completely free at the far post and left with the simple task of heading in the opening goal. It was another cross that led to Kashima’s second after SAFFC failed to deal with a ball from the left that was eventually stabbed home by Japanese international Shinzo Koroki. The Japanese champions looked determined to pile on the misery after halftime scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Both goals were a result of quick, short passes that really showed the difference in class between the two teams. But there was more to come, Koroki got his second and Kashima’s 5th when he cut his way through the defence and tucked the ball low into the far corner. SAFFC had to face the long journey back to Singapore knowing they were eliminated from the tournament.

Anchored to the bottom of their group with four straight losses and no points, SAFFC were playing for pride against Shanghai Shenhua. The Chinese team started well but it was the Singaporeans who took the lead mid-way through the first half against the run of play with an absolutely stupendous volley from Latiff that flew into the back of the net from outside of the box. SAFFC had to withstand wave after wave of attacks from Shanghai for the rest of the game. They had a goal ruled out in the 50th minute and Latiff charged down a powerful effort from the impressive Hernan Barcos that looked destined for the back of the net in the 70th minute. It wasn’t until stoppage time that Shanghai found the equaliser. Barcos showed great strength to hold off Hafiz Osman and create enough space to turn in the six yard box and slam the ball into the roof of the net. Despite the late goal taking some of the shine off the evening there was no doubt that it was a great night for Singaporean football which earned it’s first ever champions league point against one of the giants of the Asian game.

The final game of SAFFC’s 2009 Asian Champions League campaign saw them travel to Korea to take on K-League champions Suwon Bluewings. With nothing to play for and after having played well in their previous game hopes were high that SAFFC could finish with another good performance. However, in only the 4th minute the problems at the back revealed themselves once more when yet another cross from the left found an unmarked Bae Ki-Jong who was able to open the scoring with a free header. Gone was the solid defending that had secured SAFFC their first point in the previous game. But SAFFC were not ready to roll over and let Suwon progress to the next round without a fight. Shortly before halftime Duric scored his first and only Champions league goal with a powerful header from Shaiful’s excellent cross. Unfortunately SAFFC were not able to hold on to halftime and went behind again after another headed goal from Lee Sang Ho, once again SAFFC’s inability to deal with crosses proved their downfall. It wasn’t until the final minute of the game that Suwon were able to put the game beyond doubt and they needed to go route one to do it. A long clearance from the keeper was flicked on and Bae Ki-Jong found himself clear of the last defender. Shahril came rushing out and bought down the striker, giving away a penalty and getting himself sent off. The penalty was tucked away making the final score 3-1 to the Koreans. . It was a sad end for Shahril who had had an excellent tournament overall.

So SAFFC first foray into the Champions League group stage ended with them earning just 1 point and conceding a disappointing 19 goals in 6 games. Despite this the experience of playing at such a level was invaluable and as coach Richard Bok said “This is the first time we are playing the ACL. A lot to learn from this adventure. Next year if we participate again, we can do much better.” And in 2010 SAFFC returned to take on Asia’s best, but that is a story for next time.

Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed it please follow me on twitter @kevindunkerley