ACL Two Pre-Match Press Conference | vs Kaya FC-Iloilo

One more point. That’s all The Stags need to etch their names in club history. 

Tampines Rovers sit at the top of Group H with 10 points. Unbeaten thus far, a draw or a win will seal their place in the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two for the first time ever since the rebrand.

There is only one team that can derail the Stags momentum: Kaya FC-Iloilo. Anchored at the bottom of the table, the Mighty Kaya have yet to secure a point after four matches. Coming off a 2-0 defeat to Manila Digger in the Philippines Football League over the weekend, many would assume the odds favour the home side. But The Stags refuse to fall into complacency. The message within the Tampines camp is clear: the same level of focus and intensity shown in previous games must be carried into tomorrow’s decisive clash.

Here are all the details from the pre-match press conference with Head Coach Noh Rahman and Shuya Yamashita:

On Being Complacent

Noh Rahman: No, we are fully focused. We spoke about this earlier in the week leading up to this game. Everyone knows about the importance of this game. We know the opposition quite well, and we are not taking things for granted, that’s for sure. We are going into the game with a lot of confidence, and we just want to continue the good run in this competition.

On the Team’s Mood about Potential Qualification

Shuya Yamashita: We are looking forward to tomorrow’s game. We are not thinking too much about the next round. We think about every single game at a time and so, we have to get the 3 points first. And after we get the 3 points, then we will plan for the next round.

On the Team’s Motivation for the Game

Noh Rahman: The team knows quite well that we have the intention to win every game, whether it’s Pohang, Kaya or our own domestic games. We are quite clear of our intentions and objectives. This game will be the same. We will go into the game thinking that we have a good chance to win it, and we will look to try and win the group, if possible. And then we will go into the BG (Pathum United) game with a little more ease.

On the Growing Chemistry of the Defence

Shuya Yamashita: Honestly, this is just (about) desire. We wanted to win the last two games (against Pohang Steelers). That is why we could defend for 90 minutes. Unfortunately in the last game, we conceded quite late but we still managed to get one point. So, it is about the desire to win.

On Recent Singapore Success and Fan Support for Local Football

Noh Rahman: Qualifying for the (AFC) Asian Cup is a good thing for the country. Singapore football needs this kind of narrative. And if we can add to that with us qualifying for the Round of 16, that is going to be even better for Singapore football. So the message to the fans - come down to the stadium to support the team. This could be a huge milestone and especially for the players who were around last season, they have a lot of experience in this competition and that adds to the quality of the team now. I’m sure that we learnt our lessons because we narrowly missed out on qualification in the group stages last season, and we take those lessons in, and we can get the job done tomorrow!

The Stags vs The Mighty Kaya - Catch the match LIVE on meWatch tomorrow, 27 November at 8:15pm SGT.

Online ticket sales for tomorrow’s ACL Two home fixture against Kaya FC-Iloilo are available on SISTIC! For more information, visit the club’s official social media channels.

On-site assistance for e-ticket purchasing via SISTIC website will also be made available and will start 2 hours before Kick-Off at the Ticketing Booth located between Gate 3 and 4 at Bishan Stadium.